Song
by KimiJay
Summary: Just when the Doctor feels he has finally out run his past, it catches up. In the form of a total stranger.
1. Chapter 1

Quirk Williams Pond Song  
No one ever runs forever. Well, not most people anyway. There's an exception to every rule I suppose. The problem is that when you happen to be that particular exception, you forget that the people around you have a set time.  
When I met Amy and Rory, I thought that I had found a perminate home. I should have known better. Time Lords are interesting creatures. Once they start running, they can't stop. Once they start one fight, they keep fighting for the rest of their lives.  
Because, no matter where a Time Lord hides, an enemy will always find them. That's what happened that fatefull day. Madame Kovarian had found me again. Every time she came to me, she had the same offer. The chance to stop running.  
I was then on the rooftop of an apartment building in New York City of the 1930's. snow was falling down. Perfect, innocent snow that hid all the awful of what had happened.  
Rory and Amy had not made it home that night. The wreck was assumed to be caused by the ice. But I knew better.  
"Hello, daughter of the Song," she greeted as she came onto the roof top with me. The usual deal came, "are you prepared to stop running now?"  
I find amusement in the strangest things. So, I smiled a bit then, "What? And end all the fun?" I turned around and looked her in the eye that wasn't covered by a patch, "I wouldn't dare leave your life so boring,"  
"I think I'd manage," her face was expressionless. Her dark red lips in a composed line, "you however, cannot run alone," She smiled as if that was the final point.  
I got a bit annoyed. My stomach knotted up, and my face became red, "Oh, really," my Stottish tone became more defined and my words more precise, "I've run alone before, haven't I?" she didn't responed, so I made sure she could hear me. I stepped towards her and shouted, "Haven't I?!"  
"But you always find another lonely soul,"  
"Then I should be fine,"  
"There is no one else, Quirk. Amy? Rory? Your mother? They are gone and you cannot bring them back,"  
"Can't I though?!" my fist were clentched and shaking. I toke a slow breath and looked down, "Amy and Rory," I glanced back up, "I can save them,"  
There it was. Expression. A transition from confusion to realization, "How could...?"  
"Easy, Dear," I laughed. A white light started forming around me, "I'll just never have come here," Erase this part of the time line. Amy and Rory would forget all about me. They would be safe.  
"Time Lords can't do that alone!"  
I shoke my head in mock dissapointment, "You really aught to do more research, Deary. There's so much more to me than Time Lord. But I'll save that lesson for another time," and with that we both dissapeared.  
My eyes were shut tight. I have never traveled through the Vortex with my eyes open. The chill that came over me conviced me that if I were to open my eyes, something terrible would look back.  
I reappeared on a stone bridge. Amy and Rory came home safely that night. They didn't have any memory of me, but they were safe.  
Once upon a time, I would have broke down right then, but I've learned a lot since then. I just raked my hands through my hair and shoke it off. It would hit me later.  
That's when I heared something. The sound that always played in my mind. The sound of something that I had never actually seen. The break sound of a landing TARDIS.  
The blue box appeared on the other side of the bridge. I smiled and stepped towards it, "'ello there," I whispered. Then more loudly, "anyone home?"  
A taller man, with scruffy brown hair and a nice suit with a bowtie, stepped out, "What year is it?"


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor  
Alone again. I never got used to that feeling. The feeling of a truely marvellous story comming to an end. Even happy endings are sad because it's over. You still have to say goodbye.  
This one was sad though. Those ones are different. They're the endings that Time never intended to have happen. River was gone.  
The last of the Ponds had left me last of the Time Lords again. I wasn't going to let that keep me down, though.  
"Just us, Beautiful," I sang out as I sat down. Just me and my TARDIS, "What else could I possibly need?"  
She didn't reply. Some how, I doubt she would if she could. She knew that I was lying.  
"But what can I do?" I threw my hands in the air, "I don't want to look for anyone else!" It was childish, but I crossed my arms and pouted slightly.  
Again, no reply. But this time, the silence was easier, as if she was smiling sadly.  
"Fine... where do you want to go?" she started up right away. I stood up with a smile, fighting down the excitement that would tell how lonely I truely was. She stopped suddenly, throwing me to the ground.  
I sat up, "Did you have to break so hard?" this time there was a reply, but it wasn't the TARDIS. It was the sound of a girl outside.  
"'ello there? Is anyone home?" I opened the door to see a very short girl with a confident smirk that seemed to be a perminate feature of her face. Her ginger hair that looked as if it hadn't decided if it was stick straight or cork-screw curly, was pulled back in a pony tail. A pair of aviator googles acted as a hair band. She was tiny, but she carried the air of some one who was not in the least intimidated by anyone.  
"What year is it?" the usual question of a Time Lord. Didn't quite get the usual answer.  
"Not quite sure. Just arrived here myself,"  
"Wait. What?"  
"Nothing..."  
"Who are you?"  
"The name's Quirk," the odd girl stuck out her hand in greeting.  
"Do you happen to have a last name, Quirk?"  
She dropped my hand and glanced towards the ground nerviously, as if trying to pull together a story. Instead, she just said, "Details,"  
That word. Or maybe the way that she said it. With a sad sort of smile and a meloncoly laugh in her tone. It sounded so familiar.  
"Have we met before?"  
"No, but we have a friend in common,"  
"Who's that?"  
"You really do have a facination with those details, Doctor,"  
"How do you know...?"  
"Right then!" she interupted with a loud clamp, "we best be going!" she walked towards the TARDIS, and, with a snap of her fingers, she opened the door.  
"How did you do that?!" I was entirely confused now, "That's what I do. No one else can do that! That's my thing! How did you do my thing?!"  
She faced me, leaning forward on the doorway, "More details, Doctor. Truely messy ones, at that. It be better if you didn't dable in them at all," and with that, she turned back around and entered the TARDIS.  
I followed her in. She sat in my chair with a pleased expression, "It's so great to be here, Doctor," she looked as if she had finally arrived home after a long, unnesesary trip.  
Everything about her was so familiar. Her lit up eyes. Her sideways smile, "Who are you?!" I had to know. She was important somehow.  
"You are just how I imagined you," she whispered, "precisely as she discribed you,"  
"And how is that?" my voice sounded more patient than I felt.  
She looked me straight in the eye, "A good man. The best,"  
There. She had figured out how to say it. All the pieces began to fit together. Her dispossition, her not saying her last name. It all had to do with our friend in common.  
Before I could speak my thoughts, I heard something outside. *EXTERMINATE!*.  
"Really!" I got up and walked to the door, "They are supposed to have forgotten all about me!"  
*WE DETECT AN ENEMY ABOARD THIS ODDLY SHAPED SHIP*  
I threw open the door, "Is it me?"  
The daleck looked up at me. *IDENTIFY YOURSELF!*  
"Guess not..."  
*ENEMY IS NO LONGER ABOARD THIS VESSEL!*  
Suddenly Quirk appeared behind it, "Enemy's got a name, Love,"  
*ENEMY'S NAME IS TOO LONG TO SAY EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT WE ARE DISPLEASED WITH HER!*  
"Just call me by my first name, Silly,"  
*DALECKS PREFER FULL NAMES!*  
"Of course you do... Look, it's not so hard. Quirk Williams Pond Song. You try,"  
*NO! EXTERMINATION IS MORE FUN!*  
"All right," she pulled a sonic screwdiver out of her pocket, "If that's what you prefer,"  
"Grounded!" I ran out to help her, "You. Are. Grounded!"  
"Well, that's to bad. We haven't even done anything fun yet!" she laughed, "Shouldn't we go out for tea first?"  
Before long, the Daleck was down. There was a silence that soon became awkward.  
"You're River's daughter," she was avoiding eye contact.  
"Correct," she then looked up to me and smiled, "Yours to, if the legend be true," she turned around and entered the TARDIS.


	3. Chapter 3

Quirk  
He didn't ground me, in the end. He did, however, threaten to take me home.  
"This is my home now, Doctor," I spun around with my arms outstretched, gestering to the whole of the TARDIS, "What more could a Time Lord ask for?"  
"Where do I take you?" he seemed nervious as he said it. A conflict danced behind his eyes.  
"Where ever you're going," I knew that he didn't want to accept that answer. He looked like he was going to cry for a moment, but swallowed it back down.  
"That's not going to work,"  
"Why not?!" so I was a bit peeved at this point, "I have no were else to go. You are the last person I've got left,"  
He turned quickly and shouted, "I can't lose her again!" there was a broken silence before he continued, "You are so your mother. Your sence of humour. Your tone. Your smile," he slumped into a chair, defeated, "The entire time that I knew her, she was moving away from me. I was always loosing her. I thought that that was over, 'till you came along. Now, I have no garantee,"  
He let out a shattered sigh. Both of my hearts recognized the pain. I had felt it myself several times. Really, it never went away. It's just that I could bury it for a while with adventure or saying something clever.  
Everything else could be saved. Amy and Rory. Myself. But my own mother, she was gone forever, and there was nothing that I could do about it.  
But that was no reason to forget what I had right then. I knelt next to the torn apart man that was my father, "Make me a promise, Doctor,"  
"What's that?"  
"I won't let you lose me if..."  
"If what?"  
"If you don't let me lose you,"


	4. Chapter 4

Madame Kovarian  
Needless to say, I did not expect Quirk to mess with Time like that. Worse yet, she had managed to lock that time which prevented anyone from going through.  
She was clever, that was for sure. Now I was pacing around my office trying to find out what she had said about being more than Time Lord.  
Really, that didn't make any sence... Unless... Of course!  
I spoke into my headphone to my head officer, "Call a meeting, imediantly!" I turned and looked out my window, "there is a detail that we over-looked,"


	5. Chapter 5

Quirk  
I had the dream again. I know that I'm dreaming, but it doesn't make it any better.  
I'm surrounded by people that I love. I see them clearly, but they see right through me. Or they notice me but they don't recognize me.  
Every time that I met some one new, they were added into the dream. Even if I never actually spoke to them, it stung.  
It was the curse of a TARDIS. People would forget me all the time. But I never forget anyone.  
I would always end up screaming, but they wouldn't hear me. I knew, but I was desperate for them to remember me as clearly as I remembered them.  
I woke up screaming. The lights in my room were on and my dad was standing over me. I stopped screaming when I saw him. I sat upright and immediantly curled up into a ball. Adrenaline pumped through me, causing me to shake.  
"Are you OK?" he asked like any good father would.  
I swallowed the despair that envoloped me and nodded, "Yeah," I looked up to him, "I'm fine," but my panic betrayed me and I started crying.  
I felt his arms wrap around me, "I'm sorry,"  
"It's not your fault," I turned my head towards him, "I always have nightmares," I moved away so that I was facing him, "That's why I don't sleep very often,"  
"Do you ever sleep peacfully?"  
"I did when I was with mom," I bit my lip and shoke my head, "but that doesn't matter,"  
The Doctor sat there silently. He looked troubled. Haunted even. That was the one thing that was different from my mother's descriptions of him. She had always said that he struggled with his past, but had learned to live for the moment.  
This man had forgotten that lesson. He was now entangled in his past. He struggled slightly, but the past was winning.  
He looked to me. At first there was an expression of a lost and broken mad man. He looked away and down to compose himself. When he turned back he looked calm but sad. He reached over with both hands and tucked my hair behind my ears.  
"Try and sleep peacefully," his hands remained cupped around my face, "things will get better,"  
He kissed my forehead and left the room, but I still couldn't sleep. Instead, I just lay there and listened to him work on something downstairs.


	6. Chapter 6

Doctor  
I worked on everything that needed to be fixed that night. I did that most nights. Except for when River was there. Sometimes it was easier to handle machinary. They followed the same rules. They never left. But sometimes machinary does not distract enough from everyhing else.  
The memories came back hard. Meeting her. Our first kiss. saying goodbye. They ran at a blinding speed. I didn't even notice when Quirk came downstairs.  
"Hey," she greeted with a sad smile.  
I wiped a tear away before answering her, "What happened to trying to sleep?"  
Her smile grew slightly, "I was about to ask you the same thing,"  
"I really don't ever sleep,"  
She glanced down as I said that, "Except for when mom was here, right?"  
Was she trying to make me cry?  
"Yeah. Except for then,"  
She looked to the side, "She talked about you all the time. She thought the world of you," she looked at me. With a teary voice she continued, "That's what made me so different growing up. There were other kids in school who lived in split homes, but their moms let them know that there dads were total jerks," she glanced down and smiled, "I grew up knowing that my dad was superman,"  
The feeling came back. The feeling that there's no way I can do this. She thinks that I can do anything. But I can't. I'm not who she thinks I am, "I'm no superman,"  
She looked back up at me. Her smiled didn't leave, "No. You're better. You're real,"  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah," she laughed a bit, "You dress better than him too," she sat down in my chair and stared off into the middle distnce, "can we go to Scotland?"  
The sudden change of topic kind threw me, "Where in Scotland did you have in mind?"  
"Callanish Standing Stones," she looked back up at me biting the edge of her lip in thought.  
"Any particular time?" I felt myself growing wary.  
"Christmas 2012," she look at her hands that were folded in her lap, "Early morning,"  
"All right, " I logged in the setting and we were off. She didn't say anything for a while. She just sat there, with a faraway look.  
It was amazing. Discovering that I wasn't alone. I wasn't last of the Time Lords. I wasn't the only one left to remember the Ponds. I wasn't without a Song.  
Before long, we arrived. The TARDIS landed gently this time. She wasn't in a hurry right now. There was something very important about this moment.  
Quirk got up and left the TARDIS. I followed her out, but it wasn't long before the flood of memories literally knock the wind out of me. I fell to the ground gasping vainly.  
My physical eyes saw the snow covered ground, but in my mind it kept disappearing. Another time and place was trying to pull me under. Stone Henge. Why did this place have to look so much like Stone Henge?  
"Are you OK?" Quirk placed her arm on my shoulder.  
"Why here?" I whispered, "Why?"  
She stood back up and smiled, sadly, "Becouse, Doctor, some things we should not run from," she turned and walked towards the center.


	7. Chapter 7

Quirk  
So there we were. Callanish Standing Stones. It had been so long since I had been here. Well, technically, it had only been a few hours. Time travel... Put things in an odd perspective. Nothing had changed. The layer of snow was still there.  
I walked to the center. I felt like I was in a dream. And considering my dreams, that wasn't the best feeling. I saw the tracks that I had left when I had run off.  
It began to rain. A cold and heavy, Scottish rain. I looked up and watched it as it fell. Memories flashed back. Back to the last time that I had seen my mother.  
I had grown up in Scotland. I went to school and seemed rather normal. My classmates all thought that my dad had left when I was a baby and my mom went on a lot of business trips. The truth would never have got me any friends. Although, I still didn't have many. Just one, actually. And even he didn't know who I really was.  
So, I was pretty close to my mom. This was our favorite place. Whenever she came back, this was our meeting place. Whenever she knew that she would be leaving soon, we spent that night here.  
It was established that if anything went wrong, we were to meet here. In my mind, it was that Summer night again. There wasn't any snow. The night was cool and calm. She was going to see him again.  
I asked why I never got to see him, "It's complicated," she sighed as we lay in the center looking at the stars. She toke a deep breath and continued, "I guess that you can understand though," she sat up and looked at me, "We're moving apart, your father and I. Because, our timelines are opposite. So, by the time I knew about you... he had moved farther away from me,"  
Warm tears comming down my cold face brought me out of my flashback. My stomach was in knots. I looked back to my father who was still on the ground. The memories dragged me back under.  
We had been laying there watching the stars all night when an unnatural chill settled over me, "Mom?" I had closed my eyes and smiled hoping the question was a ridiculous one, "You're comming back aren't you?" I suddenly couldn't shake the feeling. A lump weld up in my throat.  
My mom sighed, "I will always try to come back to you," there were some tears in her voice, "but you have to promise me something,"  
"What's that?"  
"If I can't..."  
"Don't say that," I begged in a whisper.  
"If I can't," she continued, "remember that I love you. No one can take that from you,"  
I didn't say anything in reply. My held back tears stopped my voice.  
She continued, "And don't be alone if you can help it. You are like your father. You need a good companion. Even if it's only one, you shouldn't be alone,"  
I came back to the moment as I dropped to the ground. The tears that I held back then, came now without yielding.  
I heared my father's footsteps in the snow. I felt his arms around me, "When was the last time that you were here?"  
"After the library," I whimpered. I felt his grip tighten as he forced himself to remain present. I knew that he had been at the library when she died, but I continued, "I was at home on Christmas Eve when they came to the door," I drew a deep breath as I remembered, "They told me that Doctor Song was gone. Mighty Warrior Song was gone,"  
My voice was growing continually more shakey as I continued, "They handed me her journal and sonic screwdriver. They said all those pretty condolances and left,"  
I sat up and turned to look at him, "That was when the running began," I looked towards the ground, "I came here. She had said that if anything ever went wrong, I'd find her here," I tucked into the fetel position and whispered, "but this time she wasn't there," my voice cracked. I looked back up to him, "I never forgave her until now," I stood and dusted the snow off of me, "I was mad that she left me alone," I offered him my hand, "But I'm not alone any more, am I?"  
He toke my hand and stood up, "I suppose not," and with that, we both walked back to the TARDIS.


	8. Chapter 8

Butch  
Christmas morning. Alone again. Mom was gone. She was always gone.  
Instead of dwealing on what I was incapibable of changing, I went for a walk to enjoy the Christmas festivities. All right, maybe I was also planning on visiting Quirk. She's my best friend. So, I like to see her. Sue me!  
I walked down to the bakery first. It was completly decked out for Christmas, like the rest of the town. The baker's wife greeted me as I walked in.  
"What'll it be, Butch?" she asked with a smile.  
"I'll be visiting Quirk this morning, so her favorite,"  
"Quirk? Who's that?"  
"You know... Quirk... My best friend since grade school..."  
Her expression was blank. She literally had no idea who I was talking about. My stomach was starting to tie itself into knots.  
I spoke carefully, "Two cinnamon rolls then,"  
She got my order and I all but ran out the door. She couldn't have! I ran all the way to her house. It was in shambles. She was gone! A feeling of panic settled over me.  
"Butch?" I turned around to see Quirk standing there with a tallish man that wore a suit with a tweed jacket and a bow tie.  
"Quirk?" I ran over to her and hugged her. She had a lot of explaining to do, but right now, I was just happy she was here  
The man spoke, "I thought that you said no one would be able to remember you,"  
Quirk smiled, "I guess I was wrong,"  
"Who is this?" I asked, gestering towards the man.  
"Butch," she looked at the man then to me, "This is my father,"


	9. Chapter 9

Quirk  
I feel that I should tell you how Butch and I know each other. We met in kindergarden and were inseperatable.  
I never told him who I really was, but he seemed satisfied with not knowing.  
We were a lot alike. He came from a broken home, too. We both had trouble making friends. We both spent a lot of nights in a mostly empty house.  
The last time that I'd seen him was right after I went to Stone Henge looking for my mother. I had been devastated. So, I went to tell him that my mother had been in an accident and would not be comming back.  
I was crying despritely. He was like most guys. He didn't know how to handle tears. He had no idea what to say.  
"I might have to leave," I told him.  
"Where would you go?" he asked.  
"I have grandparents in New York," I left out the part about what decade they lived in, "people here won't even remember me,"  
He hugged me right then and I listened to the sound of his two hearts beating, "I won't forget you. I promise you that much,"  
I had underestimated the ability that he had to keep that promise.  
Now we were walking through our nieghborhood again. It wasn't as easy as before, however. There was something about the silence. It wasn't as comfortable as it used to be. Butch was no longer satisfied with not knowing.  
"So how exactly did you do that? Make everyone forget you?" He asked casually, but there was a burning curiosity about the question.  
I felt the answer catch in my throat, "It's sort of complicated," I choked out.  
"I'm sure that I could handle it,"  
The worst part was that I knew he could.  
"Well," wait! Hold on a moment! I turned about and started walking bakwards, "You haven't told me everything either,"  
"What do you mean?"  
I turned back around, "You're a Time Lord," I replied as if I was telling him that the sky is blue.  
"Wait! How did you know...?"  
I smiled cockily, "You've got two heart beats, Genius," I punched him in the arm playfully, "Only creatures I've met with a set are Time Lords,"  
He smiled, "So I gather you're a Time Lord as well,"  
"Well... That's only partially true. I'm only a third Time Lord. The other two thirds are human and TARDIS,"  
Before he could question me farther, my father came running back with some food. He had grown impatient with our stroll and had gone ahead.  
"I didn't know what you guys like , so I got my fovorite," he opened the grocery bag and pulled out fish fingers and custard.  
"Thanks... but..." Butch started.  
"We're not really hungery right now," I finnished.  
"Suite yourself," he replied and walked off with his treat.


	10. Chapter 10

Madame Kovarin  
I sat at the controls of my TARDIS. With the plan readjusted to the situation, I was prepared to convince her to join the Silence.  
She had disgraced me one to many times. Everyone was beginning to lose faith in my abilities. I would not take no for an answer this time.  
First I had to pick up my son. He might be able to help me.  
I arrived in 2012 Scotland on Christmas. Butch would be happy that I made it. I stepped out of the ship, only to find that I was killing two birds with one stone.  
"Why, hello, Quirk," I felt a smiled form on my face, "Fancy meeting you here,"


	11. Chapter 11

Quirk  
Isn't that just the way. To be happy for a moment and face to face with your sworn enemy the next. So, we're minding our own business, eating a meal, when the evil lady herself waltzes on off her ship with the idea that we should all on a little jot about time with her.  
"Can't you find something better to do than ruin my day, Lady?"  
"I'm afraid not. I didn't even mean to run into you,"  
"What do you mean?" I was completely confused which doesn't happen very often.  
"I was actually on my way to pick up my son,"  
Suddenly the dots connected. But... that couldn't be... I turned to look at Butch who was focused on the ground.  
"Butch?" My chest was tight, "Why didn't you tell me?" He didn't answer, "You've known who I am all along, haven't you?" betrayal was the right word for the moment. I was so sure that he was on my side. Had he faked it all along?  
"Yes," Madame Kovarian was the one who answered, "he has always known," I felt like I could pull her hair by her pretty, black bun.  
"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it," I spoke calmly, and it was no act. This wasn't new. She has always been out to get me. My feelings and thoughts about Butch were confused, but I knew who she was.  
"Are you in a position to speak so bravely, Sweetheart?" Madame's words were always so careful, and her tone so toxic in flavor.  
"Don't call me sweetheart, Sweetheart," my voice remained steady, but she had pinched a nerve.  
"Is there to be a fight?" men with guns stepped out of her ship. A glazed-over expression in their eyes said that they were under the control of the Silence.  
I smiled and looked around myself and back at her, "The phrase is 'Is it a fight we'll be havin?'" I closed my eyes tightly and let go.  
I will try to explain what I mean by that. I have a bit of a "split personality disorder". Most of the time, I control it. But once in a while, I let go.  
My skin grew warm. Well, actually hot. Too hot for someone who is entirely human. As hot as a fission bomb. And then, I divided... Like a cell. I continued this until there were about twenty-five of me.  
I opened my eyes and looked at her, "And the answer is yes,"


	12. Chapter 12

Doctor  
Needless to say, I was very surprised to find out that my daughter could do that. One moment it's just her being sarcastic to the enemy, and the next moment, she burst into a bright white light. When the light died down, there were at least twenty other Quirks.  
"Since when can you do that?!" I asked hysterically.  
One of the Quirks turned and looked me with a smile in her eyes, "Since always, Doctor. Do try to keep up," she turned back and shouted something. They all rushed at once.  
It was a very confusing sight. I would tell you what happened, but I'm not even sure myself. There were far too many people that looked exactly alike.  
I thought it was going rather well. That is until some one crept up behind me and hit me in the back of the head with a gun. I fell to the ground, blood running into my ears. I heard Quirk scream before the blurry lights spinning around me turned into complete darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

Quirk  
Never become attached. The rule as ancient and easily forgotten as Gallifery. When my father fell I realized that I had once again broken it.  
I could no longer focus on the fight. All of my copies returned the way that they came. I didn't even notice the heat that usually came with that, because the inside of me felt like ice.  
I probably yelled something. I never heard the sound, but I felt the strain in my voice. I knelt next to him and cupped his head in my hands.  
"Well that was exciting," announced Madame Kovarian from behind me.  
I slowly stood up. I spoke without facing her, "What are to trying to prove?"  
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean,"  
"A cheap shot," I turned to face her, "and you're even too coward to give the blow yourself,"  
"There's a difference between cowardice and intelligence," She paused and smiled, "Just as there is a difference between courage and stupidity,"  
I smiled back and answered calmly, "Just as there is a difference between you and I,"  
There was a beat of complete still. Then Madame's hand flew, striking me. I touched my face to feel the warm line of blood. I pulled away and looked quietly at my red hand.  
"Are you surprised, Dear?" I looked up at her and she chuckled slightly, "May that be your lesson. Even angels bleed,"  
Through it all, I still smiled, "But it's the demons that run, ain't it?"  
"Says the girl always running,"  
"Angels run for the race. Demons run for fear of the angels,"


	14. Chapter 14

Butch  
I watched the fight in silence. I couldn't take a side.  
Call me a coward, if you will. But I would love to see what you would do in that situation. Who would you choose, your mother or your best friend? Yes, my mother's crazy, but she's my mother.  
I wanted to stop the whole thing, but I was frozen. I felt sick to my stomach. I ended up falling to my knees and watching the battle from the ground.  
Quirk would have easily won if her father hadn't been hit. As it was, she was captured.  
That didn't change a thing about her. She never looked scared. Never really defeated. When my mother slapped her, Quirk looked about to laugh.  
She walked into the ship like she was the queen herself, stepping forward to address her public.  
I followed in a daze. I ran through my head everyhting that I could have done back there. I could have helped the Doctor. That's all that I had to do. But no, I was a coward.  
Quirk was led off to the cell quarters and my mother pulled me aside, "Don't do that again," she whispered.  
"Do what?" I honestly had no idea what I had done wrong.  
"You need to choose your side, My Dear," she spoke sweetly, but with an undertone of impatience.  
Without a word, I walked away and followed the gaurds to the cell quarters. It was all the answer that she needed. I had picked my side.


	15. Chapter 15

Quirk  
Upon entering the ship, I realized something, I was walking into a TARDIS. On the inside, it looked like dad's TARDIS but sort of sadder.  
I heard her talking to herself. I learned that she had once belonged to the Master. She hated being on the wrong side.  
It really was bleak. She saw the whole of the universe like any TARDIS, but instead of seeing beauty, she saw pain.  
She then whispered directly to me, "I'll not let them win, Child of the Song," she vowed, "this is not the end of the story,"  
I was led to my completely white cell, where they toke my screwdriver. They where about to chain me to a wall, but I fought. We caused such a rucuss, that Madame Kovarian came to see what was wrong.  
"Why won't you let them?" she asked once she realized what was going on.  
I calmly brushed my hair out of my face, "Why do you insist on the chains?"  
"We wouldn't want you to wander off," she answered.  
I found that amusing. I almost laughed, "If I wished to leave," I picked up the chains, "these would not be able to stop me," I let them fall to the ground with a clatter, "As of right now, I am too curious to see what will happen next,"  
Her experssion was gaurded. She and the others left without another word, locking the door behind them.  
I sat on the cold, concrete floor. I wasn't looking forward to sleeping on it that night.  
Suddenly, I heard the door open. I quickly stood up and looked at the door. It was Butch. I was so angry that, if not for the blanket and pillow he carried, I would have sent him away.  
"Are you all right?" he asked.  
I wondered if he was joking, "Oh yes," I replied, sarcastically, "I woke up this morning hoping that my best friend would reveal that he is the son of the lady that hates me, and he never told me!"  
"I didn't want you to hate me!" an awkward silence filled the room.  
"I would never hate you, Butch," I felt like a total jerk.  
"Is that so? Right now, do you hate me at all?"  
"Butch..." I almost told him. I almost told him why I would never hate him. That, in reality, I loved him. But I stopped myself. I chickened out and said, "you're my best friend," instead.  
"Yeah?" he didn't sound conviced.  
"Absolutely," I grabbed his hand. It's so corny, but I felt my hearts race madly. Despite eveything that happened that day, I felt completely, stupidly happy.  
He smiled, "Thanks for that," he squeezed my hand and left.


	16. Chapter 16

Butch  
After I left my mother, I waited in another room while Quirk was taken to her cell. I wanted to talk to her alone.  
I heard her resisting the gaurds, and I felt myself smile. She was so stubburn, sometimes. I loved her for it.  
Once it all died down, I left the room. I saw my mom and the gaurds round the corner. I snuck out of the room that I was in and moved to her cell, blanket and pillow in hand.  
The door was locked. I thought that would be the case. That's why I brought the only family heirloom I had. My father's sonic screwdriver. I pointed it at the door and it swung open.  
I had suprized her. I didn't know that it was possible, but she nearly jumped out of her skin. When she saw me, she didn't look very happy.  
"Are you all right?" the question seemed to come from some one else entirely.  
"Oh, yes," she replied coldly, "I woke up this morning hoping that my best friend would reveal that he's the son of the lady that hates me, and," she shoke her head, "he never told me," the hard sarcasm was replaced with a hurt tone.  
I felt like a jerk. A selfish jerk, "I didn't want you to hate me,"  
The look in her eyes made me feel worse, "I could never hate you," she whispered.  
"Is that so?" I didn't understand how that could be, "Right now. Do you hate me at all,"  
"Butch..." she paused and looked at her hands. She looked like she had something to say, but she couldn't. Instead she just said, "You're my best friend,"  
"Yeah?" she didn't have the best selection then.  
Suddenly, she grabbed my hand. All of the jerk feeling went away. She had a way of doing that. She made sure that I knew what I did wrong. Then she would let me know that I was still her friend.  
"Absolutely," she whipsered. I felt my pulse quicken. I shoke my head. I looked at her worried expression.  
"Thanks for that," I squeezed her hand and stood up to leave. Before going, I placed the blanket around her shoulders.  
I headed out and shut the door behind me.


	17. Chapter 17

Doctor  
I awoke in a completely white room, chained to a wall. My head was throbbing, but no longer bleeding. I'm sure that it looked quite matted.  
I had been sleeping in a most awkward position. All of me was on the ground, except for my arms which were pulled behind me.  
I pulled myself up using my legs, which were free. Once I was sitting up, I checked to see that everything was in working order. My sonic screwdriver was missing, but otherwise, I was doing pretty well.  
The door opened, and Madame Kovarian herself walked in, "Good Morning, Sleepy Head,"she greated as if we were friends.  
"Good morning, Crazy Lady," I replied with a yawn, "and might I just say, your eye patch does so much to bring out your smile,"  
"Enough with the plesentries, Doctor. I think the one thing we can agree on is that we don't like eachother,"  
"Yes, but why? Your about as easy to understand as a daleck. For seemingly no reason, you hate me. The daleck are constructed of revenge," I looked her straight on, "What's your exuse?"  
She leaned in towards my face. Her smile was mad. Her breath smelled like mints, "I don't need exuses, my dear Doctor. Countless nights up counting all the people that were lost. Each one is a reason, not an exuse,"  
"Who are you? Why do you hate me?"  
"To quote a line of a Song," she backed away, "Spoilers,"


	18. Chapter 18

Madame Kovarian  
I stood, alone, in the center of my TARDIS. His TARDIS. I felt my throat tighten. I bit my lip. Crying is weak. But felt my resolve slipping.  
I gripped onto the railing to stop the shaking. My knuckles were white. My vision became blurred.  
"I won't give up," I whispered, "For you and all of Gallifery. The Master will be avenged,"  
Suddenly, the ship came to a dramatic halt. The impact threw me to the ground.  
I pulled myself off of the floor. My nose was bleeding, and my head was spinning.  
I walked to the door and opened it. It was night. No. It was raining. The air smelled awful. We had landed in the middle of what appeared to be a forest.  
"Well," I whispered to myself, "it seems that our guest has landed us in the Middle Ages," I turned back in. Quirk had a lot of explaining to do.


	19. Chapter 19

Quirk  
I noticed after he left, that the red blanket was on my shoulders. I sat there contemplating thing whole thing. I don't really know what I had expected, but somehow our meeting hadn't been satisfactory.  
I went over the details in my head. I read into them, than second guessed myself. I paced around the room, trying to sort out the extra energy. In other words, I got zero sleep.  
If it wasn't for the crash, I might never have stopped pacing. Because of the crash, I ended up flat on my face.  
My ears were ringing, so I didn't hear the rapid footsteps of Madame K. running down the halls. She burst into the room. I practically flew right across the room.  
She looked like she had been in a fight. Her hair was frazzled, her nose was bleeding, and she was steamed.  
"What did you do?!"  
"Whatever do you mean?" I asked in the most innocent voice possible.  
"My TARDIS has crashed for no reason. You're part TARDIS. What did you tell it to do?"  
I smiled and tilted my head slightly, "Firstly, your TARDIS is a he, not an it," I toke a breath, "Secondly, a TARDIS doesn't have to take orders. Perhaps, he crashed himself,"  
"Why would he do that?"  
"Because you didn't want him to," I replied, "Really, it's simple rebellion, Kovarian. Did you fall asleep in Universe History 101?" I shrugged, "There is a desire in every creature to be free. A TARDIS is no different,"  
"But a TARDIS cannot be alone. He would rather do what I say than be alone,"  
I stood up and looked her straight on, "That's why he waited, you see. I'm here now. He doesn't have to choose between listening to you and being alone," I sat back down, "So, where are we?"  
"It's none of your concern, My Dear,"  
"I can just ask the Captain," I patted the wall. I heared him sigh a bit.  
"You can't really talk to him, can you?" She seemed to think the idea crazy.  
"Maybe, you could hear him. If you bothered to listen," she seemed a bit put off by me. As if talking to a TARDIS was pure witchcraft, "you people. So busy, all of you. The world is filled with the fantastic, but you never see it. To busy talking to yourself to see that there's actually some one to talk to, other then yourself,"  
She left without saying a word. That's how I knew that I'd had won.  
I felt all my pretended strength leave me at once. I leaned on the wall again, and dropped slowly to the ground. I wrapped myself in the red blanket. If I wasn't so tired I would have broken down and cried. Instead, I let myself finally get some sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Captain  
A TARDIS gets sort of used to not being listened to. That's why I was so happy to meet Quirk. She was very different from previous passengers.  
She had two hearts, but one was different than the other. It beat more madly. I recognized the sound. A TARDIS' heart. All of the universe locked inside her. She looked so young. She saw the whole universe with a smile.  
Such light shouldn't be prisoner to the dark. She walked into her cell as if it were no different than any other room.  
She refused to be chained. She spoke to Madame Kovarian as an equal.  
She changed when Butch came in. Oh, her voice sounded so sure, but the way she held herself changed. She looked down much more. Her face turned a bit red.  
He changed quite a bit as well. He was usually so quiet, but he was comfortable talking to her. As she studied the ground, he studied her.  
When he left, she leaned on the wall farthest from the door. She looked to the ceiling with teary eyes, "You mind if I talk to you, Captain?" that is what she had taken to calling me.  
"What's on your mind?" it was nice to be able to communicate with some one that understood.  
"You used to belong to the Master,"  
"I was kidnapped when I was very young," I answered.  
"How did you come to belong to Madame Kovarian?" She was smart. She knew the question to ask.  
"It's a bit of a long story,"  
"Doubt it's as long as mine,"


	21. Chapter 21

Quirk  
I woke up in the middle of the night. The door to my cell opened. Butch stood there holding something that I didn't notice before. A sonic screwdriver.  
"What you got there?" I asked.  
He looked down at the tool in his hand, "The only thing that my father ever gave me,"  
"The Master's your father, isn't he?" the awkward silence confirmed my guess, "you're not your parents, Butch,"  
He laughed, sadly, "Easy for you to say. Your dad's a hero. Your mom's the bravest person that ever lived,"  
"And do you think it easy for me to live up to that?!" I felt my hands growing warm. Gold light danced at my fingers, "I live every day in that shadow. My brave mother. My heroic father. My loyal grandfather. My fantastic grandmother," I began to cool down. My light vanished, "I can't be like them, Butch,"  
He looked a little guilty. I suppose that I had been going for that, but it didn't feel right. I toke a deep breath and changed the subject, "How did you remember me?" The question had been dancing in my mind.  
"I don't know exactly... Time Lord thing I guess. If some one has an impact on my life, I can't forget them,"  
I felt lump in my throat, so I laughed to get rid of it, "How have I impacted your life?"  
He moved a strand of hair out of my eyes, "You're my best friend, Quirk," he tucked the strand behind my ear, "If that doesn't mean something, what does?"  
A single tear escaped. I wiped it off with on finger and stared at it. I felt confused. I don't know why, exactly. Isn't that what I had expected? We had always been friends. Best friends, even. Then way did I not feel content with that answer?  
He ran his fingers through his dark hair. Now that I knew who's son he was, it seemed so obvious. Madame Kovarian's hair. The Master's eyes.  
But he was different, too. He smiled more often and more sadly. His past followed him like mine did me.  
"You have no reason to regret, you know," I said with a pathetic excuse for a smile, "you have done nothing wrong,"  
"I haven't really done anything great either," He looked off into the middle distance. Both of my heart were racing. I had so many things to say to him but none of the right words. I wanted to kiss him and slap him all at once. Could he really be so dense?  
"Then do something great!" I whispered.  
A dawn of realization danced in his eyes. An idea was forming behind those blue eyes. He leaned in closer, gently touching my cheek. Then... he pulled away. He suddenly looked very unsure. He tripped out the door, apologizing as he left.


	22. Chapter 22

Butch  
I had to see if she was all right. I toke out my sonic screwdriver and opened the door. She was just waking up.  
She saw the object in my hand, "What you got there," she asked with a yawn.  
"The only thing that my father ever gave me," I answered as I stared at it.  
"The Master's your father, isn't he?" she asked carefully. I couldn't think of what to say next. She was right, of course. I just hated that my family hated her father so much.  
"You're not your parents, Butch," she said, sweetly. I wanted to belive her, but if I wasn't either of my parents, who was I? She was so lucky to have the parents she had.  
"Easy for you to say," I said lightly, "your dad's a hero. Your mom's the bravest person that ever lived,"  
"And do you think it's easy for me to live up to that?!" Her volume suprized me, "I live in that shadow," gold light danced at her finger tips, "My brave mother. My heroic father. My loyal grandfather. My fantastic grandmother," the light died and her voice broke, "I can't be like them, Butch,"  
I couldn't look her in the eye anymore. She had said what she needed to say. I was at a loss for words. After an awkward silence, she changed the subject, "How did you remember me?"  
I felt myself relaxe a little, "I don't know, exactly... Time Lord thing, I guess," I racked my brain for a way to explain it, "If some one has an impact on my life, I can't forget them,"  
She smiled and looked off to the ground, "How have I impacted your life?"  
I smiled, "You're my best friend, Quirk," I tucked a lose hair behind her ear, "If that doesn't mean something, what does?"  
She turned away. I suppose that was that wrong answer. I tried to think of what I should have said.  
She looked back to me with watery eyes, "You have no reason to regret, you know," she smiled, sadly, "you've done nothing wrong,"  
I half laughed, "I've done nothing great, either,"  
Her smile lightened a little. She placed her hand over mine. I felt both of my hearts speed up very suddenly. She looked me right in the eyes, "Then do something great," she dared.  
Something sort of changed at that moment. Suddenly, I realized how much I needed her. She was the only person to come into both of my hearts and never leave.  
She was my best friend, but that's not why I remembered her. I loved her. That's why I remembered her. Plain and simple, you don't forget people that you love.  
I leaned in. I didn't even think of what I was doing. I was an inch and a half away, before I realized that I was about to kiss her.  
I pulled away, quickly. What was I thinking? Who's to say that would go well? Who's to say the feeling's mutual?  
I stumbled out of the room, muttering some sort of apology. I closed the door behind me. I leaned against the wall across from her room. I toke a few deep breaths to slow my heart rate and breathing.  
Whatever my thoughts, I couldn't ruin our friendship. I had to act like this moment didn't happen. I walked back to my room locking the door behind me.


	23. Chapter 23

Quirk  
He left the sonic screwdriver. It wasn't an accident, either. He had put it into my hand.  
The message was perfectly clear. He wanted me to run. My stomach dropped. My ears were ringing with the possibility of freedom. But something gave me pause.  
I couldn't leave. I sat back down and leaned on the door.


	24. Chapter 24

Butch  
She didn't leave. I waited all day, locked away in my room. I was invited to come down for dinner. I stayed in my room.  
When the halls emptied, I snuck out to her cell and leaned on the door. I whistled once low and long and two short high notes. Our signal.


	25. Chapter 25

Quirk  
I don't know how long that I sat there before I heard the signal. I whistled back the opposite. Two short high notes followed by a long low one.  
"Why didn't you go, Quirk?" He asked.  
I held back the tears, "I can't leave,"  
"Why not?" He was losing patience.  
"There's plenty of reasons," I countered, "She has my dad, for one,"  
"Then take him with you,"  
My voice cracked, "Come with me," there was silence on the other end of the door. I felt the weight on my chest give way to tears, "Everyone else in the universe has forgotten me," I bit down on my lip.  
I fingered the light that came from under the door. I saw a shadow form. I turned to see his hand slipped under the door. I slipped my hand into his.  
"I'll figure something out," he whispered, "I promise you that much,"


	26. Chapter 26

Butch  
One moment, I was sitting by the door trying to formulate a plan. Quirk had fallen asleep. The sound of her breathing was relaxing enough to calm my nerves.  
The next moment, I was in my bed. My head hurt, and my stomach had decided that it no longer wanted to be a stomach. So, as part of it's rebellion, it was trying to escape.  
My mother walked into the room, smiling, "How are you feeling?"  
"Like I got hit by a train," Normally, I would have said fine, but my mother and I were on bad terms, lately.  
"You were outside her room," she stated dryly.  
I smiled a bit cockily, "Is there something wrong with sitting outside of a door?"  
She smiled back, "Not if you're standing guard," she was leaning in now, "but a little birdie told me that you were the friendliest guard he'd ever seen.  
I couldn't change my facial expression because of the pain, "What are you afraid of?"  
"I don't fear anything, son. I just need to know what side you're on?"  
"No... You do fear. Quirk. For some reason she terrifies you," I leaned forward and put my hand on top of hers, "No matter what I do, you are still my mother. I will always love you,"  
I saw something inside of her shatter. Tears slipped down her face. I got up on my knees and hugged her. I felt tears forming in my own eyes.  
She was wrong. She was crazy. But she's my mother. Nothing can change that.


	27. Chapter 27

Quirk  
Word of advice, don't fall asleep by a door. I was woken up to that door in the back of my head.  
"What the crap?!" I turned to see Madame K smiling over me.  
"Good morning, My Dear,"  
"Is it?" I rubbed my head and stood up.  
"It will be," Two Silence flanked either side of her.  
"You will do as we say," one of them whispered.  
I looked to the ground with a smile on my face, "Not likely," I looked back up to see the confused look on her face, "Oh, don't get me wrong. It's a lovely way... If you're not dealing with me,"  
She was quick to change the subject, "What was my son doing outside your door, last night?"  
I didn't miss a beat, "Why don't you ask him? I'm sure I don't know. I certainly couldn't have invited him. The only possible explanation is that he wanted to visit me,"  
She left without another word. The Silence followed her out.  
I listened to the door lock behind them, smiling all the while. I pulled the sonic screwdriver out of my pocket. Tonight was the great escape.


	28. Chapter 28

Doctor  
I was about to fall asleep when I heard the sirens. I jerked violently, but I was too secure to move very much.  
"Hi, Daddy," I looked up to see Quirk standing over me.  
"Hello, there," I greeted. She pointed a sonic screwdriver at the chains, and I was free.


	29. Chapter 29

Butch  
The alarms found me wide awake. I was sitting on the edge of my bed when the sound told me that Quirk was trying to run. But some one had seen her.  
I jumped out of bed and rushed down to see what was going on. It was chaos. I saw Quirk running past with her father.  
"Quirk!"  
She turned to see me, "Butch! Are you all right?"  
I had forgotten how beat up I probably looked, "Yeah... It's nothing,"  
"OK then..." she looked concerned and puzzled, "you comming, then?"  
The usual knight in shining armour wouldn't have hesitated. But I'm not like all that I suppose. Half of me had already left with her, but the other half knew that I couldn't come back.  
Eventually, the desition was made for me. A soldier arrived with a gun.  
"Will you come back to your cells?" he asked.  
Quirk gave the answer that I expected, "No, actually, I don't think I will,"  
"Then I must make you come," The man shouldered his weapon.  
I'm not sure what came over me at that moment, but I jumped in the middle.  
I don't know how to describe being shot. It doesn't just hurt at the point of impact. Every nerve in my body reacted to it.  
I heard Quirk scream, but she sounded miles away. There was a deep roar in my ears. I bit down, hard, on my lip.  
"Don't worry," I gasped, "I'm not out of lives, yet," the trick in this process was to trade the pain for burning instead of numb. The numb was so tempting. This was my first regeneration process. I wanted so badly to sink into the cool, not the fire.  
I did it, though. The burn spread across all of me, inside and out. It started at the shot wound and spread out like water on a paper towel. When It reach my vocal chords I yelled. No, actually, I screamed.  
And, almost as suddenly as it began, it was over. The man had run away. I turned to see Quirk and her dad standing there.  
"How are you feeling?" Quirk asked.  
"Quite good, really," I answered.  
"Good," she said, sweetly, then, promptly slapped me, "don't you go getting yourself shot again," she talked all tough, but I could see the fear behind her eyes.  
I smiled and rubbed my cheek, "As long as you don't make a habit of slapping me,"  
She smiled back, "Only if you deserve it,"


	30. Chapter 30

Quirk  
He had scared me. After he had regenerated, I was so relieved that I might have kissed him. But the fact that he scared me in the first place won out. So, I slapped him.  
"Don't go getting yourself shot again," I warned.  
He wasn't offended, which caught me off guard, "As long as you don't make a habit of slapping me," he rubbed the cheek that I had slapped. New Butch was vastly different. He was about the same height as before, but that was all.  
His hair was lighter and shorter. His bright blue eyes had been replaced by a pair of stormy grey. The usually opened mouth smile had been replaced by a quiet and more reserved one.  
"Only if you deserve it," I promised.  
We ran out of the TARDIS, into the cold night.  
The air was different here. The only thing that I can compare it to would be travelling in the Time Vortex.  
The air was filled to the brim with Time. It was ancient and brand new. Electricity and magic buzzed in the air.  
There was only one place that we could be, "The Middle Ages," I gasped after running for quite a distance, "We're in the Middle Ages,"  
"How do you figure that," Dad asked.  
"Don't you feel it?" I asked, "I'm surprised that I didn't notice sooner. A mix of Time. The future and the past meet here,"  
"How is that possible?" Butch asked.  
"The Paradox," I answered.  
"There's a paradox in the Middle Ages?" His new face frowned in thought.  
I almost laughed a bit. He looked kind of cute when he was confused, "Not a paradox. The Paradox. It's where all paradox originate from. Have you heard of a crack in time and space?" he nodded carefully, "The Paradox is were the crack leads to,"  
"So..."  
"The Middle Ages is filled with things that aren't meant to exist. The Paradox was eventually destroyed before it destroyed the universe, but... I'm not sure who did it. It's a bit foggy..."  
"What do you mean?" Dad asked, "What do you mean by 'foggy'?"  
I looked towards the ground and sat down. I was trying to get through this adventure without having to go into the muddled details of who I was, "I'm not only Time Lord, Doctor," I answered. I looked up at the two of them, "Time Lord is only a third. I'm also human... and TARDIS,"  
"What part of you is TARDIS?" he asked.  
"Well... One of my hearts,"  
"You have a TARDIS heart?"  
"And a human heart,"  
"How are you alive?"  
"I'm not bound by any sort of Time... So, I'm always regenerating,"  
This is where Butch cut in, "Wait! So that thing I just did, you're always doing that?"  
He looked rather amazed which made me smile, "Yep. Don't really know how it works, but yes,"  
"Does it hurt?"  
"Not as much as you'd think," I was slightly amused by the question, "It's actually sort of refreshing. The TARDIS heart beats so hard and fast ya' feel that you'll surely burn from the inside out," I sat down on a large rock, "regenerating is like cool water over the burning,"  
"I've got a question now," my dad raised his hand as he said it, then continued, "Why don't you run out of regenerations?"  
I looked down but pointed up to him, "You've got yourself a point there," I said, "I honestly don't know why,"  
"Fair enough,"


	31. Chapter 31

Madame Kovarian  
It was one of those moments that you see coming from miles away, but somehow it hits you with no less force.  
He had left. My own son wasn't on my side anymore. He had taken a bullet for the enemy. And, not only that, he had left with her.  
I learned not to get attached. I convinced myself that attachment was a human weakness. I was beyond that. But whatever I told myself, I was still flesh and blood. I still loved.  
Now matter how I explained it to myself, I had lost the last person that I cared about.  
But who had taken him? Quirk. The daughter of the man that had taken away everyone else. I let the anger seep in. I toke one more shaky breath.  
The plan was still the same. Revenge was necessary.


	32. Chapter 32

Butch  
Evidently, the Doctor doesn't sleep. He sat on a rock staring at the moon all night. His daughter wasn't much better. She tossed and turned in her sleep.  
At one point she appeared to be having a nightmare. I was sitting next to her when I heard her whimper. I turned to she her face tight and tears running down her cheeks.  
It scared me. She looked so alone and sad.  
I reached forward and wiped some tears from her eyes. immediately, she calmed down and slipped into a calmer sleep.  
"You handled that well," I looked up to see the Doctor smiling, "I'm over 1000 years old and I still don't know what to do when a girl cries.  
I smiled back, "I don't either," I looked back to her, "I just know what to do when she cries,"  
"How did you two come to know each other?" This wasn't the stereotypical interview between a boy and a girl's father. He seemed so relaxed.  
"We went to school together," I began, "I didn't have any friends, and neither did she. Lonely people are pretty good at finding each other, I guess,"  
He nodded to that, "So they are,"  
"Well, we both lived complicated lives. We both spent too much time alone,"  
"Did your mother say who she was?"  
"When I was old enough to understand," I looked at the stick that I was twisting into knots as I spoke, "She wanted me to be a spy. The only thing that she didn't recon on was me making my own decition,"  
"You decided to be on her side," he said nodding towards Quirk.  
"I still love my mother, but..." I looked down at Quirk. I didn't know how to explain myself, "I chose Quirk,"


	33. Chapter 33

Quirk  
I woke up in the middle of the night, which was pretty normal for me. Butch had fallen asleep.  
I sat up and smiled. He looked tired, even in his sleep.  
I rested my head on his chest, forming a T shape. Without realizing it, I slipped off to sleep.


	34. Chapter 34

Doctor  
That's when she finally slept soundly. Given her horrid nightmares, I was amazed by how quickly that his sleeping put her to sleep. And, not only that, but she slept peacefully for the rest of the night.  
I had mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, I had just found out that I had a daughter, and she was already interested in boys. But she was so happy.  
I smiled to myself to keep from crying, "Always saying goodbye," I looked up at the moon again. I thought of a girl who was waiting for a younger me to come and sweep her off her feet. I thought of how she was looking at the same moon in another time.  
"She's so much like you," I whispered. I knew that she couldn't hear me, but I had some things to say anyway, "how was it? How did you manage to raise her all on your own?" I looked back at Quirk. I wiped a tear from my eye and stared at it, "Did she remind you of me as much as she reminds me of you?"  
How pointless was this conversation? Suddenly, I remembered something that a brave Roman once said. She can always hear me.


	35. Chapter 35

River Song  
I listened to his questions from behind the paradox, "She always did, Sweety. She's brave like you. Just as determined."  
I looked around myself. I seemed to be standing on a cloud. White fog swirled around me. Everywhere I looked, I saw memories. My own and others. Good and bad. Real and imagined. It was the place between a dream and a nightmare.  
I looked back to where I had seen my Doctor. Instead, I saw what should have been. I saw him and me raising our daughter together. We were happy and laughing. Everything was perfect.  
"I was able to do it by myself," the fog swirled around the fantasy and returned to him, "because I knew that would only be temporary,"  
I smiled as I thought on my plan, "I'll be back, Sweety. Don't you worry,"


	36. Chapter 36

Quirk  
We started the next day bright and early. Dad was watching the rising sun peek through the branches.  
"Morning, Doctor," I greeted cheerfully.  
"Morning," he replied with equal cheerfulness.  
"Should I wake him up now?" I nodded towards Butch, who was still out cold.  
"First things first. Where are we?"  
"Abernathy Forest," I answered, promptly, "450 AD,"  
"How did you do that?"  
"Heart of the TARDIS," I smiled at his being impressed, "I know almost everything,"  
"Almost?"  
I looked down at my hands, that laid, listless in my lap, "There is one thing that a TARDIS cannot understand. No matter how hard we try, we don't understand Time Lords,"  
"Really?" he seemed surprised.  
"Yeah," I looked back up at him, "I look into the whole of time and space and the only Time Lords that I ever see are the ones in front of me. It's why Madame Kovarian can come without warning,"  
"She's a Time Lord?"  
"Must be,"  
"Why don't TARDIS understand Time Lords?"  
"I don't rightly know. It does explain a lot, though, doesn't it?"  
"Like what?"  
"Like, why a TARDIS always falls in love with a Time Lord,"


	37. Chapter 37

Butch  
I woke up when she said that, "A TARDIS always falls in love with a Time Lord," I kept my eyes closed, but smiled to myself, "We like the mystery, I guess,"  
"Do you speak from experience?" the Doctor sounded like any good father.  
"I might, " she said with a light laugh, "Should I wake Butch up now?"  
He must have nodded, because she began to "wake me up", "Butch? Butch, it's time to get up,"  
I opened my eyes slowly and fake yawned, "Morning already?"  
She smiled, "Yep. Rise and shine sleeping beauty," I pretended to be disgruntled with being up, but my smile wouldn't leave my face.


	38. Chapter 38

Betha Pond  
I was having trouble sleeping that night. I usually did, I suppose. It started with the sound. The buzzing sound began and then the monsters began appearing.  
I told my mother. She said that I had better keep this to myself. If people knew that I was hearing this sound, they would call me a witch. No one else heard the sound, so I sould pretend that I didn't either.  
But I did. It was a loud and furious sound. It sounded like a thousand bees and the clanging armor of many armies.  
It bothered me so much that I eventually told grandmother. She wasn't really my grandmother, but she was very kind and treated me like family.  
"I hear the sound, too," she said with a smile, "It is the sound of Time unravelling,"  
"How is that possible?" I asked.  
"Well, normally, It's not," she answered, "Normally, Time is too big to be hurt by anything. But something is attacking it,"  
"Oh... Why can't mother hear it?"  
"Most people can't, Love. You must be pretty special. But be sure not to tell anyone else," she warned, "people aren't very friendly to people that they don't understand,"  
That made me feel important... But the sounds still kept me up a lot. I sat up looking at the sky, listening to the sound. That's when I saw something fall out of the sky. It came from the same direction as the sound.  
I followed the star. I never found the star. But, as the sun rose, I found three travelers.  
"Where you ridding the star?" I asked from my hiding place.  
They all jumped, "Who's there?" asked a boy with light hair.  
"Are you from the star?" I repeated.  
The oldest of the travellers seemed to understand what I was asking, "Yes," he answered, nodding. He had wide eyes that reminded me of my father's hunting birds.  
I stepped into the clearing, "My name's Betha Pond,"  
"A Pond?" the girl stepped forward. Her hair was the color of fire. She smiled like that name was important.  
"Who are you all?" I asked.  
They all looked at each other. The one with the wide eyes kneeled down so that he was eye level with me and answered, "We can't really say our names,"  
"All right, " I said with a smile, "Then I'll give all of you a name to tell my parents,"  
The man stood up and nodded, "Fair enough,"  
I pointed to the wide-eyed man, first, "I'll call you Merlin, because you remind me of my father's merlin," next I pointed to the girl, "You, I'll call, Fiona,"  
"White," She put her head in her hand, "thanks,"  
"You're welcome," I replied. I then pointed to the boy who was smiling. He wasn't very tall, but he looked strong, "Arthur,"  
The girl smiled toward the boy, "You got the best name. Bear,"  
The boy turned red in the face, "It's a lovely name," he said to me.  
"Are you hungry?" I asked them, "because, you are welcome to come and have breakfast at my house," 


	39. Chapter 39

Butch  
We followed the rather young looking girl, which wasn't an easy task. She moved through the forest with incredible speed and agility.  
Her big, dark eyes saw in the dim morning light as easily as the day.  
Right outside of the forest was a small cottage. A lady with the same dark hair came running from the door.  
"Betha Ailish Pond!" She rushed forward and picked Betha up, "Were have you been? You scared me half to death!"  
"I'm sorry, mum," she apologized, "But I've brought company,"  
Her mother put the child down, looking at us, "And who are each of you?"  
Betha began to introduce each of us, "This is Merlin. That is Fiona. And the last one is Arthur,"  
"How do you do?" The Doctor stepped forward with his hand extended. She made no move to shake the hand.  
"Where are you from?" she asked suspiciously, "You are not from here,"  
"They fell from a star," Betha answered, "that came from the direction of the buzzing,"  
The mother suddenly looked very afraid, "We cannot help you," she grabbed her daughter up and turned quickly back to her house.  
"Wait!" Quirk called after.  
"Find Grandmother!" Betha called back, "she will help you!" the slam of the front door put an end to that conversation.


	40. Chapter 40

Quirk  
"So, where are we going now?" Dad asked me after the door had slammed.  
I stared at the ground, without blinking, "I don't know," I felt the panic rising in my hearts, "I have no idea who Betha was talking about,"  
"Don't worry," Butch was completely calm. His new voice had an easy rhythm to it, "We can ask people near-by,"  
That much I knew. There was a village about a kilometer away from the edge of the forest.


	41. Chapter 41

Butch  
Whenever I tried to picture the Middle Ages, I always thought of a lot of music. Music and art were the only good things that happened in that time period.  
But the village was silent. Not the quiet of the early morning. The silence was something you could feel. It was if the birds, themselves, were too frightened to sing.  
And beneath the silence was a moving. A storm of some kind was brewing.  
I turned to Quirk. She wore her usual, confident expression. In the midst of potential storm, she smiled as if a challenge was a friend.  
"Why is it so quiet?" I asked her.  
"Silence have been here," she replied.  
"What?"  
"Silence," she repeated, "Monsters. They come and are forgotten as soon as they leave. They can convince people of anything. Because, no one can remember them, they think that anything the Silence say is their own idea," her smile became sadder, "What better way to control others than making them feel like they're the ones in control?"  
"There were Silence in my parent's TARDIS, weren't there?" I asked. Her confident expression faltered. She closed her eyes, as if trying not to see what was playing out in her mind.  
She opened her eyes, but the expression was distant. She looked towards me, but not at my face, "Some things are better to forget," she finally replied. She looked up and smiled, "Trust me, on that. There are times I wish I could," she bit her lip and looked back down.  
That's when I realized. She was different, when she spoke to me.  
She always spoke as if she was challenging the world. But, when talking to me, she seemed... Less sure. Like she had to think longer about what she said.  
I wished I was able to understand what that all meant. She would always drive me crazy, like that. Flirting then acting like it never happened, at all. Guess, that's why I love her.


	42. Chapter 42

Quirk  
We found out that "Grandmother" lived on the other side of the village.  
Her home looked rather normal. A sweet, little cottage with a window on each side of the door. Heather, thistle, and wild roses grew all around it.  
An older woman stepped out of the house. Her grey hair was tied in a bun. Her face seemed strangely familiar. In her eyes, was an ancient yet lively look. The same timelessness that I saw when I looked in the mirror.  
"Well, who do we have here?" she asked.  
I stepped forward, "We're friends of Betha Ailish Pond. She said that you could help us,"  
"Well, in that case, come on in,"  
The inside of her house was very different from the out. Her walls were covered with books about everything. From fairy tales to encyclopedias on the monsters of the universe.  
"Who are you?" I asked her. I had no idea who's home this was. Which could only mean one thing, "You're a Time Lord,"  
"Technically, I'm more of a Time Lady, but yes,"  
Dad started in, "How is it possible?" his emotions were well in check, but I sensed some pain tugging at the edge of his voice, "They're all dead,"  
The Grandmother smiled sadly and rested her hand on his shoulder, "Oh, Doctor, nothing's that simple,"  
"So, the Time Lords are still out there?" I cut in.  
She turned to me and smiled, "They're not as far away as you think,"  
My stomach knotted. I was happy, of course. But there was something about the way that she had said that. Like, "You're so close, yet so far".  
"What stands in the way?" I asked. There was a catch to all this.  
"Nothin' gets pass you, does it?" she smiled.  
"Almost nothin'," I answered honestly.  
"The only thing standing in your way is the Silence. But that shouldn't frighten you,"  
"Why's that?"  
"You're one from the prophecy," she answered.  
"What prophecy?" I was discovering more and more by the second.  
"There's a line burning straight through Time,  
A Song, A physician, a Rose, a Knight.  
One to remember. One to forget.  
One to guide. One to protect,"  
Her voice became soft and dazed towards the end, "Do you smell something?" I looked around to Dad and Butch looking rather out of it.  
"Silence," I whispered. I closed my eyes and relaxed. Within a matter of seconds, I turned invisible. Another hidden talent. My three companions fell to the ground as the monsters walked in.


	43. Chapter 43

Silence  
We walked into the room. I counted the people on the floor. One teenage boy, one Doctor, and one elderly women.  
"Where's the girl?" I mused.  
"Bravo!" declared a sarcastic voice. I turned around, but there was no one there, "You really thought of everything," the voice continued from a different direction, "Wait until they walk into a house. Bring a knockout gas that only affects Time Lords,"  
The confident, female voice came from everywhere, "But you didn't remember one thing," she sounded disappointed, "Your forgot one tiny detail," a small girl with red hair appeared in the center of the room, "me,"  
She kept a look of confidence, "And I am not easily forgotten," suddenly, the room was filled with crazy ginger girls.  
She had all the benefits. She never forgot, and she fought hard like a human. But she was slower then usual. The gas didn't knock her out, but it delayed her reactions enough. We escaped with the Doctor.  
The mission wasn't perfect, but we got the most important part done. The Doctor was separated from his daughter.


	44. Chapter 44

Rose Tyler  
It was a dark night in summer when I saw her. I was woken up by a bright light shining outside our TARDIS.  
"Who's there?" I called out.  
"Rose Tyler?" I didn't recognize the voice.  
"Who's there?" I repeated.  
"My name is River Song," she answered, "and I need your help,"  
I walked came out of the house to see a ghost. I let out a scream and fell the sandy ground of the beach were the TARDIS was parked.  
"My goodness," the ghost exclaimed, "are you all right, Dear?"  
"You're a ghost!"  
"Oh, that," She looked down at herself and smiled, "I'm not quite a ghost," she patted her curly hair, "I'm really here,"  
"Where's here?" I asked carefully.  
She looked at me and smiled, with a tilt of her head, "The Paradox," she answered, "Basically, I'm trapped,"  
"What does that have to do with me?" I had never met this woman. I couldn't imagine how I would begin to help her.  
"Rose Tyler," she laughed a bit, "Defender of Earth. Bad Wolf. Dame Rose of Powell Estate. Who else would I ask to help me?"  
"You know the Doctor?"  
"Oh, yes," she answered, softly, "Yes, I'm what you might call an associate of the Doctor,"  
"Can't he help you?" I asked.  
Her smile saddened, "Not directly. You see, the Paradox has certain rules that no one can break. If you do, you'll start creating paradox,"  
"I see... What is it you want me to do?"


	45. Chapter 45

Butch  
I woke up to a blinding light. I blinked a few times and saw Quirk sitting by a window reading a little blue book.  
She studied it, turning the pages as if it could turn to dust in her hands. Emotion played on her face, as she read.  
At some point, she realized that I was looking at her. She looked up slowly and down quickly. Her face became slightly red. She then looked back up, "Morning," she said with a smile.  
"Morning," I replied with a yawn, "What happened?"  
She bit her lip before saying, "The Silence. They toke my dad," her voice cracked. She turned towards the window, leaning on it's edge. "Why does she hate me?" she asked the window. I felt compelled to say something, but the words wouldn't form. I sat up in the bed. She turned back around, "You probably shouldn't get up just yet,"  
I continued to stand, "Just for a moment," I limped towards her.  
"Careful," she warned.  
"I'm fine," I said confidently, and a little too soon. I ended up tripping forward, barely catching myself on the wall.  
"You all right?" She asked.  
"I'm fine," I lied. A splitting headache and a week stomach told me that I should sit back down. But like the idiot I must be, I stayed up. As long as I was walking around when I probably shouldn't, she wasn't worrying about her dad.  
I stumbled a bit as she grabbed me by the shoulders, "You sure about that?"


	46. Chapter 46

Quirk  
"No," he answered honestly. His cheeks were losing color.  
"You should lay back down," I guided him back to the bed. He didn't sit back down though. He looked at me. I saw in his eyes the shadow of an argument that he was having with himself. He quickly looked to the ground and sat down without another word.  
We sat there in a silence that shouldn't have been nearly as awkward as it was. We stared at each other then looked quickly back at the ground.  
"I'd better be going," I said looking back up to him. I felt heat rush to my face as I rushed out of the room.  
Grandmother, who had regenerated into a younger looking girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes, smiled as I came out of the room. She frowned when she saw the look on my face, "You all right, Quirk?"  
I nodded.  
She didn't believe that I was fine, "What happened?" Her pretty eyes toke on an older appearance.  
"Nothing," I answered. It wasn't really a lie. Why did I feel so dishonest?  
She shrugged. She didn't believe me for a second, but she didn't ask anymore questions, "I'll be leaving this morning," she announced after a short pause, "The Time Lords will have to prepare for battle,"  
"What do you want me to do?"  
"Watch the boy," she replied. It was funny, but she still sounded like an elderly lady, "Once he is well, take him to Avalon,"


	47. Chapter 47

Doctor  
I sat, chained to a chair, in my new prison. Madame Kovarian stood over me with her arms crossed. I stared at the white floor. It was just as interesting as the rest of the room.  
"Where did she go?" she asked again.  
"I have no idea," I answered honestly.  
"Rule number one," she smiled a bit at her cleverness, "The Doctor lies,"  
"Rule number two!" I jumped in as I looked up, "The Doctor only lies to people that he likes," I smiled at how much more clever I was, "and you don't exactly fit the bill,"  
"Don't patronize me, Doctor," she sounded rather annoyed. Good, that's what I was going for.  
"Oh, but it's so much fun," I insisted, "Because you can't really do anything about it,"  
"Doctor!" she recomposed herself, "This is no longer a game," she continued calmly, "My son is lost,"  
"Is he?" I looked down with a smile, "I think that he knows exactly were he is," her jaw dropped as I looked up, "He doesn't have any plans to leave either,"  
"No," was all that she could manage to say.  
"Hey, I don't really like it either, "I shrugged, "I just found out that I have a daughter, and already boys are coming 'round. But anyone can see it. He's smitten. And so is she,"


	48. Chapter 48

Quirk  
We left by noon. I knew that the Silence would be back with reinforcements.  
So, other than the fact that we were running for our lives, it was a lovely day. The birds sang, the sun was shining, and, despite all the bad, I was happy.  
I found myself skipping ahead of him. I looked back and smiled. He didn't look nearly as happy about the glorious day.  
"Come on," I called back, "enjoy the day a little," I wanted nothing more than to see my best friend happy again. He smiled a little but looked back to the ground. I rolled my eyes and turned back around.  
He's the only person that can sneak up on me. He ran up behind me, grabbed me, and spun me around.  
I laughed as we toppled into the grass, "There's the Butch that I know,"  
He was laughing so hard that he was breathless, "Well, it's not easy to keep smiling when you're running for your life,"  
"Well, do try," I sat up and looked at him happily, "I like it when you smile,"  
His smile softened its tone. He searched my eyes for a moment then said, "Where are we going again?"  
"Avalon," I answered. I stood up and brushed imaginary dirt off of myself. Had to keep my hands  
"That place isn't supposed to be real,"  
"Neither are aliens," I crossed my arms as he got up, "but here we are,"  
"True," he stood up rather confidently, until he looked at me. That's when I lost him again. My best friend's new eyes became clouded. There was something that he wasn't saying. Since when did we have secrets?  
Then I remembered, we always had secrets. We just used to be better at hiding them. We both looked away and towards the ground.  
I realized that wasn't the only one who had kept secrets. I had never told him who I was. I was always avoiding the whole truth.  
So, many mostly truths added up to more than one lie:  
My dad works out of town. My mom's job takes her out of the country. My parents are doctors. We're just friends.  
That last thought was still there, hanging in the air. And he still believed to be true. That's about the time that I heard it. A buzzing sound rattled the air. It sounded shrill yet soft, like something a metallic tearing.  
I covered my ears and sat down, curled up in a ball. I felt shaky and sick.  
"Are you all right?"  
"Don't you hear that?" I looked at him, puzzled, "How can you not hear that?"  
He spoke his head. That's about the time that I felt it. It was almost as if I was leaning against a wall. I placed my hands on it and stood up.  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
I almost laughed out loud, which would make me sound insane. Instead I just answered, "The Paradox. We found The Paradox,"  
"How does this thing work again?"  
"It takes stuff from points in time and puts them in the wrong place. It works about he same way that the Weeping Angels do. It feeds off of the potential energy of that whatever it captures," I felt like I was rambling, but I continued, "Unlike the Angels, it tricks it's victims,"  
"Tricks them?"  
I looked him in the eye, "Ever hear of sirens?"  
"Like, mermaids?"  
"Not exactly..." I grasped for the right way to explain it, "They were these creatures that made people see their greatest desire or people that they love. Well..." I looked towards the invisible creature that I still had my hand on, "Sirens were how the Greeks explained what this thing did,"  
There was silence that was heavy enough to suffocate. I broke it carefully, "What does it do?" he whispered.  
"Shows you your hearts desire. Gives you hope, catches you, then takes the hope away," my voice was shaky. From anger or fear, I couldn't tell, "The worst part is that it's not an illusion. The person that you see is really there. The Paradox holds people captive for a while for the sole purpose of catching more," now I knew for sure now, I was mad.  
That's about the time that a woman with curly hair and soft brown eyes appeared in front of me. I felt like I was about to implode. Every part inside of me started to squeeze and twist together.  
The calm, sarcastic smile, that I had gotten so good at, was gone. I couldn't fake out emotions now. The pain in both of my hearts was enough to make me want to scream out in agony.  
Instead, I whispered as tears ran down my face, "Mom?" 


	49. Chapter 49

River Song  
I saw her through the mist of The Paradox. I smiled when I saw how much she had grown.  
But that good feeling faltered when she saw me. She looked like she had been strong for a long time, and now she was going to fall apart. So much like her father. Strong for everyone. Always taking on a bit too much.  
"Mom?" she asked in a broken voice. I wanted so badly to reach out and brush away those tears. I couldn't, though. This was her war to wage.  
"Hello, Sweety," I replied, my voice cracking at the end.


	50. Chapter 50

Butch  
She turned to me, a half-crazed look in her eyes, "I have to go in," she determined.  
"What?!" I exclaimed, "You can't," I wanted to use all those proper arguments, but the only thought that came to me was how much I needed her to stay. This, of course, isn't something that I wanted to say without a proper explanation. So, instead, I stood there, stupidly, with my mouth open.  
She saw my expression and softened, "I'll be fine,"  
"That's what everyone thinks," My mouth felt dry and heavy as I found the proper words, "You said yourself. It takes hope from everything it meets,"  
At this point the half-crazed look returned to her dark blue eyes. Maybe, it wasn't so much crazy as it was wild. Less like a scared child, and more like a determined fighter. That smile that I knew so well danced on her lips as she whispered, "Well, it hasn't met me,"  
And with that, she disappeared into The Paradox.


	51. Chapter 51

Quirk  
I'm not entirely sure what I had expected. The inside of The Paradox felt like a mist... that was slowly closing in on me... Which was a rather odd sensation.  
TARDIS have a tendency towards claustrophobia. Oh, it's all fine and well, as long as there is an escape route. However, without one, an uneasy feeling settled over me.  
As all you clever readers probably know, there are two responses to fear. One being flight and the other being fight. Had I been full TARDIS, my response would easily have been flight, but there's just enough human in me to make me wonder what happens next.  
The sound is the hardest part to explain. The noise was unbearable. All the memories of the people that passed through. Crying and laughter and screaming and rain all played loudly in my head. All of the sounds were in my head. None of them passed through my ears like sound is meant to.  
Suddenly, one voice cut through the noise. The only sound that made any sense in all the insanity, "Hello, Sweety,"  
Again, I'm not sure what I had expected. I turned around to see my mom. She looked exactly as I remembered her. She smiled sadly, like she always did.  
I tried to find my voice, but it was drowned out by my tears. I pride myself in being strong. But, then again, pride has no place among family.  
I ran into her arms. The reunion was all laughter and tears. After a while she gently pulled me off and said with a smile, "Now then, we'll have no more of that,"  
"Come back with me," I choked out.  
She wrapped me back into a hug and whispered, "I wish that I could, my love,"  
I looked up at her, "And just why can't you?" I asked. I felt mad. I was angry that she was denying me this one thing. It seemed selfish to me.  
"I have no where to go," She explained the horrid truth so calmly. I found myself infuriated and soothed, at the same, "I was saved in the library, which has been eaten by The Paradox. I have no where to go,"  
I felt the weight of The Paradox press farther in. The mist was nearly suffocating. I felt my lungs beginning to burn.  
"Why did you call me in?" I whispered, "If you knew that I couldn't help you, why would you bother?"  
"Because, you can help me, Love," she stepped to the side and I noticed her companion. Normally, I would have seen her, but the Paradox messes with a TARDIS's senses.  
The new member to the group was a stranger, but I remembered her from another time line. She had never seen me, but I could she in her eyes. She had traveled with the Doctor. People looked different after traveling with my dad. They carried themselves higher. They smiled more. A flame burned behind their eyes that desired a bit more adventure.  
This blonde girl was pretty special too. The Doctor was not only a vital part of her time line, she was a vital part of his. And beyond that, she seemed important, to be vital to the whole of the universe. I'd heard her name repeated throughout the universe. Her name was actually part of the universe's song.  
"Rose Tyler," I whispered. She smiled, so I must have been right.  
"You must be Quirk," she replied. I envied how unaffected she was by the Paradox. The continual closing in didn't seem to bother her at all. She offered her hand to shake.  
Call me rude, if you want, but I didn't shake it. She seemed like a nice lady and all, but she was not mother. I didn't see how she was supposed to help me either.  
"Rose is to help you, Quirk. And you are to let her," her voice became more stern. I hated when I made her upset. So, I caved in and shook her hand. My mom smiled, "Now that's more like it. Now go back and continue on to Avalon,"  
She pointed towards the portal that was to lead us back. Rose stepped through without looking back. I gave my mom one last hug. The tears came uncontrollably.  
She hugged me back, "There, there," she said in a broken voice, "Not too much of that," she pulled me back and looked into my eyes, "Warriors save the tears for when the enemy is defeated,"  
I nodded, toke a deep breath, and stepped into the portal.


	52. Chapter 52

Butch  
I spent the entire time, that she was gone, pacing. I kept thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong.  
Finally, the Paradox opened up, but Quirk didn't come out. Instead, a lady with blond hair and large brown eyes stumbled out. She looked like she had been in a dark room and had just walked outside.  
"Who are you?" I asked, trying not to be rude. She looked like she had been through enough without me complaining that I'd rather see my girlfriend. I mean friend. Who's a girl...  
Anyway, she seemed friendly enough. She walked up to me and introduced herself as Rose Tyler. She also informed me that Quirk would be out in a second.  
Just as she was talking, Quirk slowly stepped out of the portal. She seemed as if she was waking up from a fantastic dream. She excepted was reality, but she longed for what the dream had been.  
Gosh, she's pretty. If my brain had been in the right place, I would have thought of a better word to describe her. My mind, however, couldn't think of anything other then how pretty she was.  
Then it hit me. I was also beyond happy to see her. I rushed forward and engulfed her in a hug. I felt her shoulders relax. Her hair smelled like the brittle pages of an old book. She always smelled like that. I guess that's what Time would smell like.  
Then I remembered that she had scared me half to death. I pulled her back, "What's the big idea?!" I asked her, "I thought that you weren't coming back!"  
"Sorry," she replied sheepishly. She looked to the ground and kicked at a leaf.  
I forgave her automatically. I brought her back into the hug, "Guess we're even," I whispered, remembering the bullet that I had taken.  
I heard the smiled in her voice, "How about we don't make this scaring each other thing a habit,"


	53. Chapter 53

Doctor  
Every enemy is different. It's hard to see how darkness can hold so many degrees of shadow. But, still the same, there is.  
Kovarian not only held anger, but a tune of long nights. She had seen something. Something that had led her to this madness.  
Somewhere, everything that was meant to happen didn't. Somewhere a pretty, little promise was ripped out of her hands and replaced with a dark and cold bit of all of what reality could be.  
The only thing that kept her going was to be darker than the thing that she had been handed. If she became darkness, she might be able to see what little light that there was in this piece of reality. If she became coldness, she might more easily find a bit of warmth.  
She found it, but what good was that? The cold, dark winds that blew in her soul only threatened to extinguish what little hints of flame that she found.  
It really was only a matter of time before that little spark got tired of the struggle to stay lit. Either the light would go out, our it would go where no one would try to put it out.  
She was trying to find answers from me again. She was sitting across a metal table. That's when it all sort of fell into place. There was a light in her bit of universe.  
"Butch," I whispered to the corner of the table.  
"What's that?" she asked. Her fingers paused there drumming. Four beats. She kept drumming in fours.  
"He was the only good left in your life, wasn't he?" I felt the air tighten as she hissed in a sharp breath, "Isn't it better then," I continued, "to let that light shine? He certainly can't here. Isn't it better that he found some more light?"  
I half expected her to slam the table and yell. She didn't, though. Instead, she was strangely quiet. She stood up without making a sound. She was as pale as a ghost as she turned to walk away. She grabbed the door knob, but didn't turn it.  
"The light was never mine to keep, Doctor," she whispered without looking towards me, "I always knew that, I suppose, but... But what poor living thing ever lasted without light?" She walked out and shut the door.


	54. Chapter 54

Quirk  
I stayed up that night. Not all that different than most nights, really. I sat up on a rock, fastening and unfastening the cuff of my jacket. I thought too much, sometimes.  
I glanced over too a tree were Butch was staring off into space. Rose was sound asleep. I envied her and how peaceful she could be.  
And why was I still up? Was it because my dad was kidnapped, or that the universe was falling apart? Of course not! I was sitting there over-analyzing my boy troubles like the self-absorbed dork that I was.  
I've tried to move on. It's easier said than done. I would leave for a long time. I'd try to like other guys. Then I'd see him again, and suddenly my stupid, runaway hearts would try to beat their way out of me.  
He glanced up at me, which told me that I had been staring. I felt a blush spread across my face as I looked down. In the corner of my eye, I saw him look a little longer before turning back the other way.  
I don't know if this is what love is supposed to be. It's certainly not light and happy like I've heard. It's not warm and comforting, like I would have imagined.  
It's more like it's the only thing that makes sense. Like... if he's not there, I'm in the wrong place. I don't know what that really is, but something inside me whispers the word love, so that's what I call it.  
My mind pulled me back and forth between hope and doubt. I wanted so badly to believe that these same thoughts clouded his mind, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't risk the hurt if I was wrong. All the hope was good for was keeping those stupid hearts of mine fumbling over themselves.  
I closed my eyes and tilted my head towards the sky. A cold and gentle breeze blew across my face. I pulled my knotted hair out of it's pony tail.  
The past few days began to catch up with me. I felt a tear slide down my face. It was soon followed by another. I clenched my jaw to ease the pain in my chest.  
I heard the rustling of leaves. I looked down to Butch at the base of my perch. I quickly looked away. I was in no mood to explain the tears. Besides, he'd been put through enough.  
He's a stubborn one though. I heard him scale the bolder until he was behind me. I didn't turn to see him. I just kept staring up into the night sky.  
I felt him lean against my back. I felt his voice as he asked, "Are you all right, Quirk?"  
I swallowed some tears before answering with a soft choked yes.  
"Because, it's OK if you're not," he explained. I turned my head slightly to see his shaky hand set itself next to mine, "You want to talk about it?"  
I wanted to. This is my best friend. I told him everything. But I did always have a secret from him. And so I did now.  
I couldn't bear for him to think that this was somehow his fault. He was not to blame for the things that his mother was involved in. I couldn't let him feel guilty about anything. So, instead of complaining, I just shook my head.  
"All right," he whispered with a sigh. His shaky hand reached over and grabbed mine, "I'll be here if you need me,"  
I stopped biting my lip, "You always are," I whispered back. I felt more tears slip out. And then, I couldn't handle it anymore. I just sat there and bawled.  
He squeezed my hand, "We're going to fix this," he promised. I thought of how ridiculous that promise was, but I believed him.  
I believed him, because, at one point, he had made another crazy promise. He was the boy that remembered. If he could keep that promise, I trusted him completely.


	55. Chapter 55

Butch  
We didn't talk for the rest of the night, but we couldn't fall asleep either. Instead, we just sat there, enjoy the tiny bit of quiet that we could get.  
Maybe sitting in complete silence, watching the stars take there path across the sky seems boring to other people. Those people have never done it.  
There's something to seeing nature move calmly on it's own flight. I guess this is what it must feel like to be human. To feel Time as he moves forward.  
I wonder if this is what my parents were so eager to find, the feeling of peace. They went about it the wrong way. They figured that the path to peace was power. Peace is really found in realizing that you are the smallest of things. You can't control much of anything.


	56. Chapter 56

Quirk  
Sitting there in silence was the best thing that had happened to me for a while. My hearts slowed down and my breathing deepened. I rested my head on his shoulder with my back still to him.  
For the first time in ages, I wasn't staying up for fear, but rather, for wonder. Were the stars always so beautiful? They can't have been.  
I felt my chest tighten as I realized how little I was capable of. These stars, though brilliant to me tonight, had already burnt out. All that was left to them was a delayed light and all the people of earth to watch it flickering.  
How much more could I possibly be? I was meant to save the world. I couldn't save even one star. How then could I save this planet of giants?  
At some point, the sun came up and dared to break the charm of the night.  
Complete comfort and ease gave way to an awkward feeling that I couldn't shake. The silence gave way to the uncomfortable reality of words.  
"Good morning," I mumbled. It was his turn to try now.  
"We better wake up Rose," he muttered back.  
"Right," he helped me off of the rock, and we said nothing more of the past night. What could we have said? There was no conversation to continue. Nothing had happened to spark a new conversation. We had just sat there in the dark.


	57. Chapter 57

Rose  
"How long have you known him?" Butch was walking ahead of Quirk and I.  
Quirk's face turned bright red. She look towards the ground and whispered, "I met him when I was five,"  
Well, I never would have guessed that! Here was the daughter of the oncoming storm getting downright giggly over a guy that she's known for most of her life.  
"All right. Let me get this straight. You know this guy better than probably anyone else, and you're still nervous around him?"  
She looked in his direction. The look in her eyes was a soft sort of mad, "That's just it," she whispered as if it was just dawning on her, "after all this time, he's the person that I know the least. He's kind of a closed book, or maybe the book is just in a language that I don't understand," she shook her head, "Love is a language that even a TARDIS must learn,"  
She was a lot like her father. Always on the brink of something. Always trying so hard to be human. Always fighting something. I guess that's why they both seem to fall in love so hard. There is nothing that you have to fight so hard for, nothing so human, as falling in love.  
"What is it that you like about this guy anyway?"  
She squinted and looked off into the distance, as if the answer might appear as smoke in the morning air, "It's not one particular thing," She began, "It's one particular person,"  
"He doesn't appear as all that," I said it with a smile because I knew better. Looks are vastly deceiving.  
"The best people are the ones that look like everyone else. The ones that fit neatly into our little stereotypes. They are the ones that always seem to surprise us, aren't they?"  
It was true. I certainly wouldn't be the person to disagree. The beings that really changed everything weren't the fake gods or living plastic. It was a rather ordinary looking man traveling in a rather ordinary looking box. No matter where he went, he easily blended into the scenery. No one ever caught his name.  
"No hero really looks like one at first glance," she whispered, "I know that there is a hero inside of him,"


	58. Chapter 58

Lancelot  
I had spent my entire life prepared for this. Soon we would have Gallifery again. And here I stood, not believing a word of it. Sometimes you don't realize how much hope you've lost until the fulfillment of that hope is within your grasp.  
On the other side of the cold, gray water the Warrior Song was coming. She was said to be the child of storms and rage. She was the story that we told to the Time Tots. If those stories were true, she would be the girl to re-write Time.  
When I was young, I might have believed such foolery. But as I grew, I began to see reality. Time is written in ink. There is no rewriting it.  
It was than that I heard that the Warrior Song was coming. She was said to be as fierce as the legends claim. So, when I met her, I was less than impressed.  
She said that she was 18, really no more than a Time Tot herself. She wasn't an impressive size, by any means. She really wasn't very exciting.  
But she held herself like she was the Lord President. As if she had seen more of the universe than all of us put together. And some of it had left scares in her eyes.  
Her companions did not appear very impressive either. At first glance.  
One was a pretty, blond, human girl. I did not judge her for much until I realized that she was Rose Tyler. The defender of the Universe.  
A spark glinted in her eyes as she walked among the Children of Gallifery. She looked completely at home. She belonged among the Lords and Ladies of Time.  
The last of the newcomers was a shorter, light-haired fellow with a careful sort of air. I couldn't decided right away if he was a boy or a man. He walked with a certain amount of confidence, but his eyes were always calculating. He seemed the type to know exactly the distance before leaping. Either he always landed or he never jumped.  
These three stood on the beach as the lost children of Gallifery crowded around them. The children were over-joyed to see their fairy-tale heroes brought to life before there very eyes.  
The grown-ups seemed less certain. The legends were a lot to expect of total strangers. These three did not physically seem to be much for a fight.  
Still, I couldn't ignore the fire that burned brightly in each of their eyes. I heard that once, on Gallifery, Time Lords were expected to gaze upon the vortex. It would either inspire them, or drive them mad.  
The strangers looked both inspired and mad. It was as if instead of simply gazing into the vastness of Time, Time gazed into the vastness of them. But then, that would be impossible. Time cannot live inside people. It would have killed them.  
The girl with the ginger hair stepped forward. The smile on her face was strangely calm. She seemed completely aware of the fact that a massive war was approaching, but she was too busy studying the faces of the warriors.  
I stepped forward to great them. I suppose that was my job as representative.  
"Welcome," I greeted the Warrior Song, "This is Gallifery. Or whats left of it,"  
Her smirk faded. I gathered that was a rare thing in of itself. The fire in her eyes only brightened, "What happened?" she asked rather calmly.  
Her voice. It sort of threw me for a second. She looked so young, but spoke like an ancient. This shouldn't have been so amazing to a Time Lord. But she was truly young. Why then did she hold the stars in her eyes?  
"It's folding in," I answered, "Eventually, it will turn into a massive black hole and destroy earth and itself,"  
She was very quiet at this. She looked towards either of her companions and linked arms with them both. Then she looked back to me with her impossible smile and said, "Well, I suppose we best better be fixin' that,"


	59. Chapter 59

Quirk  
So, it's kind of been a long week, so far. It's not every day that they fate of two planets is placed on your shoulders. Oh wait, that's just another Tuesday for me. I really needed a vacation.  
Our tour guide was like ring master at a funeral. His movements seemed too grand. His voice too optimistic.  
But being the clever girl that I am, I heard a tone of sarcasm at the edge of his voice. All of those who bare hardness with a smile had it. It was the only way to smile, really. You had to become calloused to ignore the pain. That sort of takes the softness out of a voice.  
I found myself staring at the ground an awful lot. I guess that my mind was searching for something more familiar. All of these Time Lords... For the first time in quite a while, I found myself surrounded by strangers. But, I suppose, I wasn't entirely alone.  
My eyes wandered to a pair of black dress shoes. He always wore dress shoes. It's sort of a strange thing to take particular notice of. A proper person notices the eyes or smile. But... I was afraid. I was afraid to look him in his eyes and have to relearn the pathways behind them.


	60. Chapter 60

Butch  
Quirk seemed quiet today. It made me a bit nervous really. She was always so confident. Her being uneasy was a bit unnerving.  
Than it sort of hit me. She was surrounded by Time Lords. She had know idea what was going on.  
I glanced over to her. She was spending a lot of time looking at the ground in my general direction.  
I wanted to help her. Any useful words caught in my throat. She had that effect on me. I felt like an idiot talking to her sometimes.  
That's when I first heard it. Four beats. My head felt like an old church bell being rang. The sound of each beat echoed through my brain.  
I felt my feet slip out from under me. My hearts shifted pace to it. I fell to the ground. My breathing became increasingly shallow.  
"What's happening?" I asked in a desperate whisper.  
"Butch?" Quirk squeaked, "What's wrong?"  
"Don't you hear it?" How could she ignore it? "The drumming! It's so loud!" I turned to see her look of concern shift to a look of horror.  
"How many beats?" She asked. Her voice remained calm.  
"Four," I sighed, "Four insanely loud beats. Like sirens. Like bells. It came out of no where, and it won't stop!"  
"Help him!" It was more of a desperate plea then a command.  
I'm not sure what happened next. Everything went black.


	61. Chapter 61

Quirk  
I saw the peak of the Citadel rising above the tree tops. Here it was. The impossible planet. It was real. It was still alive. All at once, I realized how small I truly was.  
By this point, Butch was starting to wake up. He still looked pretty bad. He was able to stand, but he clenched his head as if it were about to explode.  
"Are we there yet?" He asked in a rather ghastly sounding voice. He was about the same color as sea foam. Not a very healthy looking shade really.  
"We'll be there soon," I assured him.  
It was at this time that I heard the crisp sound of a trumpet. I turned to see a tall man, dressed in a rather flamboyant outfit, standing on a strange flouting device.  
"Well, who the heck are you?" I asked the stranger.  
"Lord President of Gallifery," the man answered.  
He almost continued on, but I broke in, "It certainly is nice to meet you lot, but do you mind if we use that clever floating device you got there? My friend here is in terrible shape and we're needing to get into town as quickly as possible,"  
"We have nothing in the city to help your friend," the president stated. His grumpy looking face told me that he was in no mood for arguing.  
I looked at the ground and smiled to myself, "Look Mr. Lord President, my friend is in need of help," I looked back up at him. My smile was gone, "And either you will help him, or you will tell me what's wrong so that I can help him," My smile slipped comfortably back onto my face, "Are we clear?"  
"I have seen this sort of madness only once before. Once a Time Lord looked into the vortex and heard four beats," his voice faltered a bit.  
"But he's never seen the vortex," I argued.  
"There is more than one opening, Child," I could tell that the Lord President was growing rather impatient, "Every TARDIS holds the vortex within them,"  
"Well, the only TARDIS here is me!" I shouted to make myself believe what I was saying, "And there's no way he could see my heart from where he's standing!"  
There was an uneasy quiet. It was the type of awkward silence that you could feel in the pit of your stomach. The sort of quiet that let you know that the last thing said was dead wrong.  
"It is rare," Lancelot said in an attempt to make me feel a bit better, "Besides, the madness that the Lord President speaks of is even more rare. It's only happened one time,"  
"Who was it?" I asked looking towards the ground, "Well?" I looked all around me.  
"He was called the Master," answered Lancelot.  
I felt like an ice cold fist had punched me in the gut. It hurt, but mostly I just felt numb. It was as if nothing I was seeing could possibly be real. Because, if it was, it would have to hurt a lot more.  
"So, his father," I gasped out. I wanted to wake up, to open my eyes, to find that this was all just a stupid dream. But that couldn't be true, could it? I'm never this surprised in a dream, "How did he see the vortex?" I closed my eyes.  
"Time Lords choose their TARDIS, and a TARDIS chooses her Time Lord,"  
"Your point?" I asked.  
"It would appear that the two of you haven picked out each other," the man said with a thoughtful smile, "and a Time Lord never stops learning about his TARDIS,"


	62. Chapter 62

Butch  
I woke up in a warmly lighted room. The bed beneath me was soft. My head hurt. My mouth was dry.  
At first, I thought that I was alone. That's when I heard Quirk's voice at my side, "How you feeling?" she asked.  
I turned to look at her. Her smile was as confident as ever, but I could see how red her eyes were. She had been crying.  
I felt bad. I had scared her. She would never admit it, but I had. I notice that I have an awful habit of doing that.  
I wasn't even sure what I did this time. I tried to grasp at what had happened before I blacked out. Something about a drumming.  
I looked at Quirk and smiled to show I was fine, but just then, I heard the drumming sound again. I groaned and closed my eyes again.  
It wasn't as bad this time. Now instead of my head feeling like it was going to explode, it just throbbed to the beat of the drums.  
"They say that you have seen the vortex," I opened my eyes to see the faraway look in hers, "They say that's why you hear drums,"  
"How could I have done that?" I asked. As the words came out, my mind was already forming the answer. I didn't want to believe it, but the electric charge in the air told me that I was right, "You?"  
She nodded, "Apparently," her expression was sadly amused, "you looked into my heart. Dangerous activity, you know, looking on Time like that," a worried and tired tone crept into her voice, "If you had seen too much, you could have died,"  
"Well, I didn't," I reassured her with a smile. My hand found hers.  
I looked towards the end of the bed. Both of my hearts skipped a beat and then raced to make up for lost time. She had this strange effect on me. I made so much more sense when she wasn't around. My thoughts were more collected. My pulse more steady.  
But I couldn't be without her. As soon as she left the room, I would feel like all the oxygen in the room had gone with her.  
So I held her hand a little tighter just to hear her say, "I'm not going anywhere," I smiled and felt myself slip back to sleep.


	63. Chapter 63

Quirk  
I sat there staring blankly at a window for a while. There were so many emotions running through me. I felt like I had been shot with electricity, jittery and sick all at once.  
I felt responsible for what had happened. But then, it was him that chose that. My breath shortened.  
He chose me! I thought. I suddenly felt like squealing in a rather silly way. Stop it! I warned my hearts. They had been wrong before.  
My flyaway hearts started racing again. That monsterious hope built up in me. Why was I so inclined to hope anyway? What good was that foolishness if he died now.  
I thought about Captian and her depressed and vengeful thoughts. I suppose that was worse, wasn't it. Maybe it was better to see a bit of possibility in the dark than to only see the dark. Even if nothing comes of the little flame of hope, at least it provides light.  
But hope was a risk. There was no risk in dark thoughts. Hope was being happy when you know that later you will be sad. Hope was holding onto some pretty little thought that could very well be taken away from you.  
I pulled a my journal out of my pocket. I had taken to journaling. It's sort of silly. I can't actually forget any of this. Mostly, I think that it just reminded me of my mother. I don't think that she could forget the things that she wrote in there either... I think that she wrote in it because it reminded her of my father.  
I thought about my father. I was worried. He seemed so lost without mom.  
They were so dependent on eachother. Whenever she talked about him, her face glowed. She wanted a happy ending so badly, I could always tell.  
And then there was dad. Without his wife, he wandered like a madman through a graveyard. It's like he was checking the head stones for a name. A name that he knew in his head to be there but hoped in his two broken hearts was not.


	64. Chapter 64

Doctor  
It's just a dream I thought to myself. But I smiled just the same.  
River was smiling. She wore a long white dress. She walked towards me.  
"Hello, Sweetie," I greeted.  
She squinted at my stealing her line, "Hello," she replied.  
"Do I really have to wake up?" I asked. My hearts literally hurt. I walked closer and cupped her face in my hands.  
"Eventually," she answered with a sad smile, "I just wanted to let you know something,"  
"Yes?" I wiped away a tear that had started trailing down her face.  
"She does remind me of you," she said with a smile, "everything she does carries a bit of you. The way she talks. The things that are important to her,"  
"Is this just a dream?" I asked, "Or are you really here?"  
"A bit of both, My Love," she sighed, "when you find Quirk, she can explain," she's quiet for a moment, "There's one more thing that I wanted to say,"  
"And what is that?" I asked softly.  
Quite suddenly, she leaned in and kissed me. When she pulled away her voice was filled with tears, "I can always hear you, Sweetie. No matter how far apart we are. No matter what's going on. I will always hear you,"  
The tears escaped her voice and came streaming down her face. I wiped them away with my thumbs and kissed her.  
After a while, she pulled away. Her face was wearing the same sad smile, "Now go find our daughter," she whispered, "she needs you,"


	65. Chapter 65

Quirk  
I l walked outside. I looked up at the stars that had seemed so lovely last night. Now they just remind me how big the universe I was trying to save was.  
That was when the clouds came, and it started to rain. Despite everything, a smile spread across my face. I put my arms in the air and spun around.  
I didn't stop until I was impossibly dizzy. Then I tilted my head towards the sky, eyes closed, and let the rain drench me.  
I felt my skin growing warm. I looked down at myself and saw the familiar golden light all around me.  
It was at this very moment that an idea sort of struck me. My mother had once told a story. A story about how she had saved my father. Maybe... just maybe.  
I ran back into the house. Everyone inside the building was very surprised by my glowing. Everyone always was.  
I slowed down once I reached his room. I glanced at my hands then placed them on either side of his face.  
His eyes flickered open, "Quirk?"  
I smiled, "Yeah. Who else, ya dolt?"  
"What are you doing?"  
"Trying something,"  
His eyes got wider as he realized what was going on, "Quirk. No. What are you doing?"  
"Will you shut up?!" that was about the moment that I kissed him. If I thought that my hearts were racing before, they were ready to explode then.  
It was a quick peck. I pulled away with my face flushed and hands shaking.  
Butch was staring at me with wide eyes. The color had returned to his face, but his brain didn't seem to be fully functioning just yet.  
Before he could think of what to say, I stumbled out of the room.


	66. Chapter 66

Doctor  
I ran, without stopping, to the coastline. In one hand, I held my screwdriver and in the other was a book.  
There's something about running. It's a feeling of mad and wild freedom. There's something about the pushing against the turn of the earth.  
When I reached the ocean, I was greeted by people that dressed an awful lot like... but they couldn't be.  
"Who are you?" my voice sounded strangled.  
"Hello, Doctor," Greeted a young man, "I suppose that you are looking for your daughter,"  
"Who are you?" I repeated daftly.  
"I am Lancelot," he answered, "Castellan. Gaurdian of Avalon,"  
"Where's Avalon? You use Galliferian words. Who are you? What's going on? And. Where. Is. My. Daughter?"  
"Avalon is what is left of Gallifery. We need your help Doctor. Gallifery is still alive, but we need your help if we hope to save it. Your daughter is at Avalon, all ready,"  
"Take me to her,"


	67. Chapter 67

Butch  
I spent that night walking alone on the shores of Avalon. The Doctor had arrived and talking to the others about what needed to be done.  
No one had asked me to leave. I had dismissed myself. I had to think.  
The pounding still hadn't stopped. No one told me directly what was going on. I didn't need them to. I knew. I was going mad.  
Quirk had saved me. She had taken away the pain, but the memory of what I had seen couldn't leave me. I remained in that horrid drumming.  
The same drumming that my father had mumbled about late at night. The same drumming that lead him to raving madness.  
It scared him, the loss of control. His fear made him angry. He felt that he had to destroy the fear if he ever wanted the control back.  
But he couldn't see that the monster that had taken so much from him was himself. That's who he was really afraid of.  
I suppose that I was afraid of the same thing. I was terrified of becoming my father.  
And then there was Quirk.  
The girl that saw light in me. The girl that kissed me. The girl that risked her life for me. The girl that loves me.  
That's love isn't it? Risking everything for someone.  
This should have made me happy. Why didn't it? Why was I on the other side of the island?  
One more question hung in the air like a fog. It was equal parts dark and inviting. What would I do if I wasn't afraid?


	68. Chapter 68

Quirk

I was never really fond of business meetings. Sitting down and talking things out. I'd much rather take action.

They were all talking about how I was supposed to destroy the Paradox. Doing so would send things back to where they belong. Gallifery would be a planet once more. They were all very excited. I almost disliked bursting their happy little bubble.

"Aren't you all forgetting something?" I interrupted. They all stopped talking, to my relief, "What are we planing to do about the Silence occupation?"  
The one that thought himself to be charge spoke up, "Time Lords do not interfere. It is the law,"

"Well, I think it's a stupid law," I said pointedly.

The room was completely quiet. It was if everyone was holding their breath. A child speaking to a leader that way was unheard of.

"It is a very important law," he defended weakly.

"Interfering. As I recall, some one in here is quite famous for their interfering," Eyes shifted awkwardly towards my father. I continued, "And as I recall, if it wasn't for such interference, I wouldn't be here to save you all right now,"

"That's different," the man whispered irritably

"Oh," I nodded, "So it's OK if it helps you?" he didn't answer, "Do you honestly think that you are anymore important than humans?" people were becoming uncomfortable. I felt my skin grow warm with rage. I glanced at my hands that had started to glow. I toke a deep breath. The glowing toned down.

I looked back to the man. His face was as hard as stone. I could see that I needed prof.

"The first humans," I looked about the room as if I were giving a lecture, "hunted down prey much larger than themselves," I could see that they didn't see what this had to do with anything, "they walked. Never stopping, they walked. They walked until their prey died. Now I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty amazing.

"In the 1700's a little colony started a war with an empire over taxes. And won. A single tribe was threatened with genocide multiple times. They survived!" I turned back to face the "leader". I smiled, "Every day these people risk the one life they have, simply to learn what living is. Will you not risk one of your many lives to save people mightier than you?"


	69. Chapter 69

Lancelot

Her plan was utterly ridiculous. She was ridiculous. She insisted that we had to help the humans now.

I followed her as she stepped out onto a balcony. She looked out towards the land that she wanted so desperately to save.

"Why are they so important to you?" I asked.

Without turning around, she answered, "They are as much a part of me as the Children of Gallifery, Lance,"

I don't know how I felt about the nickname. She had a way of acting as if she actually knew me, and that annoyed me. Here was a mere child, that spoke as if she knew everything.

"I've been around for a few hundred years," I began, "and the humans don't impress me nearly as much,"

Slowly she turned to face me. Her careful, yet dangerous, smile dance across her face, "Lance, I don't care who you are, or how old you are," she turned back around, "You've not seen what I've seen,"

"What could you possibly have seen in 18 short years?" I will admit that I felt a bit bitter, "Wars in Time! The fall of my planet! What is so impossible that you have seen?"

She did not turn around. I got the feeling that I annoyed her. The humans say that sometimes a soft voice is worse than yelling. I never understood that until she replied barely above a whisper, "I have seen the light and the dark fight to the death. I have seen the light win. I have seen the light lose. I have tried my hardest only to realize that if I had just tried a little harder I could have saved those that I love. I have felt the coldness of death and the raging flame of life,"

"Then why do you need us?" As I asked the question the answer edged quietly at the corners. She was not as strong as she put on. Underneath the warrior exterior, there lied an awful truth, "You're dying... aren't you," My voice rose pointedly as I realized the very thing that should have been obvious, "You're a TARDIS! You can't survive in human form!"

"I'm not all TARDIS!" she yelled as she turned back towards me.

"Your skin," I pointed out more gently. She looked down towards her hands which had started to glow once again.

She smiled as if she were thinking of a far away time, "It sort of funny," she thought out loud, "that the thing that should be my weakness has become my strength," She looked up once more, "Ponds are not bound by Time. Human though they be, they cannot forget,"

"What does that matter?" I was weary of arguing.

"The moment a TARDIS forgets what she lives for, she'll stop,"


End file.
